Asuncions carry hopes of local bets

MANILA, Philippines – Kennevic and Kennie Asuncion hope to flash their old brilliance and at the same time draw inspiration from the home crowd as they head the local challenge in the mixed doubles event of the $120,000 Bingo Bonanza Philippine Open Badminton Championships which gets under way tomorrow at the Philsports Arena.

The veteran brother-sister tandem finished second in the inaugural staging of the event in 2006 but has groped for form the last few years due to lack of international competition and are listed at No. 21 among 29 pairs fighting it out for top honors in the mixed doubles this week.

The Alfredo Mailom-Pauline Ramos tandem is actually ranked higher than the Asuncions at No. 15 but the latter remain the sentimental favorites owing to their experience and long-tested partnership that has given the country honors in the past.

They will be up against the crack pairs from Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Japan and Slovenia as well as Hong Kong, which will be headed by world No. 11 Yohan Wiratama and Hoi Wah Chau.

Meanwhile, the bulk of the 145-player foreign contingent hit town yesterday in time for the keenly-awaited event, a Graded four-star or Gold event sponsored by Bingo Bonanza and organized by the International Management Group.