Barredo, Albo join B Bonanza Nat’l Open tilt

MANILA, Philippines - Junior aces Sarah Joy Barredo and Airah Mae Nicole Albo signed up for the Bingo Bonanza National Open badminton tournament, toughening up the field in the women’s singles when the P1.5 million event is fired off Dec. 11 at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Center.

Barredo, a double gold medal winner in the Philippine National Games, and fellow PBA Smash Pilipinas mainstay Albo represent the cream of the country’s junior crop competing in the four-day championship which also drew the likes of Mariya Angela Sevilla, Alyssa Geverjuan and Monica Arianne Rivera.

The men’s singles also features the country’s best and the brightest, headed by Toby Gadi, Rabie Jayson Oba-ob, R-Jay Ormilla, Ros Pedrosa, Wilson Lopez II, Frell Gabuelo, Alexis Geverjuan and Emilio Mangubat Jr.

Focus will also be on Mark Shelley Alcala, who will be coming into the event, sponsored by Bingo Bonanza and sanctioned by the Philippine Badminton Association headed by Vice President Jejomar Binay and sec-gen Rep. Albee Benitez, in top form after besting the region’s top juniors in the Singapore Youth International last month.

Meanwhile, the draw will be held tomorrow, according to the organizing EventKing Corp. The schedule will be posted on Dec. 7 while the team managers, coaches and players meeting will be held Dec. 9, also at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Center.

For details, visit www.bingob.com/nationalopentournament or email to EKC at [email protected].

Other events on tap in the event are the men’s and ladies doubles and the mixed doubles titles, according to tournament director Nelson Asuncion.

The National Open marks the return of the country’s premier gaming and amusement center as badminton’s chief backer. Bingo Bonanza used to stage big-time badminton tournaments, including the Philippine Open in 2009 that lured some of the world’s premier players.

Benitez, however, said the PBA is now focusing on putting up bigger national tournaments and has temporarily shelved plans of staging the more expensive international events to upgrade and develop local players until they can really compete with the foreign aces.