P.5M at stake in FDG Cup Open doubles

MANILA, Philippines- More than P500,000 in cash prizes will be staked in the Open doubles events in the FDG Cup 2011, National Open and Invitational badminton tournament, easily making it the richest ever in years when it is held July 1-2 at PowerSmash.

 The event will feature the country’s leading players and rising stars, including those who saw action in the inaugural PBaRS (Philippine Badminton Ranking System) tournament at PowerSmash and those who will compete in next week’s PBaRS second leg in Bacolod.

 The men’s doubles winners in the event, staged by the business partners of Robinsons Land Corp., will receive P160,000 while the mixed doubles and ladies doubles champions will get P100,000 and P80,000, respectively.

 Registration is ongoing with fee pegged at P800 per player. For details, visit the event’s website on fdgcup.com or contact Nelson Asuncion at 725-4942 or Glenn Encarnacion/Richard Bautista at 0922-8733369.

 The elims all the way to the quarterfinals for the Open will be played July 1 while the semis and the finals and the Invitational set July 2.

 Meanwhile, the Invitational will be graced by world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei, who will play in an exhibition games with fellow Malaysian ace Koo Kien Keat, currently the world No. 4 in men’s doubles with Boon Heong Tan.

 The Invitational will also feature employees and business partners of Robinsons Land Corp., which consists of the company’s suppliers, contractors, architects, designers and construction managers.

 The event is open only to Filipino players, including current and former national players, varsity and trainers with the field in the men’s doubles limited to 64 entries, women’s (32) and mixed doubles (32) for a maximum field of 128 entries.

 Competitions in the Invitational side include Classes A, B, C, D, E and F with a maximum of 32 players in each category.