MANILA, Philippines - Bianca Carlos enhanced her flourishing badminton career by retaining the Under-19 singles crown and teaming up with Justin Natividad to beat Paul Pantig and Eloise Dionisio for the U-19 mixed doubles plum in the MVP Sports Foundation-Philippine Badminton Ranking System (PBaRS) Makati leg at the Makati Coliseum last Wednesday.
The twin victories completed Carlos’ three-gold haul in the five-day event sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation after the St. Paul College Pasig ace toppled fellow Golden Shuttle Foundation bet Gelita Castilo in straight sets in the Open singles for the second straight time.
Carlos actually dropped the opening set to Amabel Sumabat in the U-19 finals but picked up her game in the next two to fashion out a 9-21, 21-5, 21-9 victory in the event organized by the Philippine Badminton Association headed by Vice President Jejomar Binay, chairman Manny V. Pangilinan and sec-gen Rep. Albee Benitez.
Castilo, meanwhile, took two doubles titles with regular partner Dia Nicole Magno, beating Danica Bolos and Reyne Calimlin, 21-13, 13-21, 21-13, in the Open and Jessie Francisco and Eleanor Inlayo, 21-14, 21-11, in the U-19 category of tournament supported by Victor PCOME Industrial Sales Inc., exclusive distributor of Victor equipment.
Top seed Ronel Estanislao and Paul Vivas outlasted No. 2 Aries delos Santos and Gabriel Villanueva, 21-8, 16-21, 21-15, to cop the men’s Open doubles while Melvin Llanes and Bolos repulsed Wilfredo Amoroso Jr. and Melody Villaceran, 21-18, 22-20, for the Open mixed doubles gold.
Elijah Boac and JC Clarito trounced Miguel Leonardo and Jon Masongsong, 21-12, 21-18, to claim the boys’ U-19 doubles diadem.
Christian Bernardo and Chanelle Lunod bagged the U-15 mixed doubles title with a 21-19, 21-17 upset over No. 2 Boris Sumabat and Sarah Joy Barredo while No. 2 Jessie Francisco and Inlayo took the girls’ doubles crown with a 21-14, 21-8 romp over Djali Balingcogan and Ann Masongsong.
Christian Bernardo also pulled off another reversal in the U-15 boys’ doubles finals as he teamed up with John Bernardo to stun top seed Frell Gabuelo and Boris Sumabat, 21-18, 22-20.
The Open winners received P70,000 each while the U-19 and U-15 champions took P20,000 and P10,000 each in the event backed by PBA Partylist (Pwersa ng Bayaning Atleta), Philippine Airlines, Go Hotels, Gatorade, Badminton Extreme Philippines Magazine, Vineza Industrial Sales, Sincere, Krav Maga Philippines and TV5 with Enervon as minor sponsor.