JVC badminton drawing of lots up at SM Manila

The drawing of lots for the JVC Under-14 Open Badminton Championships will be held today (at the 5th level, Entertainment Plaza of SM Manila.

A total of 151 players will vie for top honors in various divisions in the event firing off April 16 at the SM Megamall with 66 disputing the crown in the featured boys singles and 37 in the ladies side of the event.

The boys doubles event drew a total of 22 teams, while the girls side will have 15 squads. A total of 20 pairs will compete in the mixed doubles event.

The tournament is exclusive for players 14 years and below and organized by the International Management Group.

First-round winners will advance to the next stage which Pampanga will host on April 24-25. SM Southmall in Las Piñas holds the next stop on May 22-23 with the semifinals and the finals set May 28-29 at the SM Megamall, which will also host a celebrity tournament on May 30.

For details, call up IMG (Agnes or Joann) at tel. Nos. 751-6752/845-0162 or Rene or Timmy at tel. Nos. 725-2568/725-4942.

The event, which took the country by storm last year at the height of the JVC National Open Championships at Glorietta in Makati, is supported by Alaska, Accel, Gosen, Toby’s Sports, Pioneer Insurance, Lactacyd, Tokyo Tokyo, The Philippine STAR, Agfa and Rudy Project.

JVC, the giant electronic firm regarded as the pioneer of the badminton boom in the country, has tapped the various SM malls as venue sponsor that will bring the two month-long tournament to Pampanga and Baguio up north and to Cebu and Iloilo down south for clinics and a series of exhibition matches.

The tournament was actually launched last March 27-28 with a clinic and a series of exhibition matches at the SM North EDSA while a similar feature is slated this weekend (April 3-4) at SM Baguio. SM Cebu will have its turn on May 8-9 while SM Iloilo hosts the fourth and last clinic-exhibition show on May 15-16.