Pedrosa, Albo bag national jrs badminton titles

MANILA, Philippines - PBA-Smash Pilipinas national player Ros Leenard Pedrosa and 10-year-old Jewel Angelo Albo pounded out victories in similar fashions to rule their respective sides in the Sun Cellular-Ming Ramos National Junior badminton tournament at SM North Edsa Annex, QC recently. 

Pedrosa, who represented Luzon, swept his matches in the two-day round robin competition, turning back Emilio Mangubat of Visayas, 21-15, 16-21, 21-13, and dominating Alem Palmares of Mindanao, 21-15, 21-15, to bag the boys’ singles Under-19 crown.

“I’m very thankful to the PBA and to Sun Cellular for holding a competitive national junior tournament like this, which is a new a challenge,” said Pedrosa, who also clinched the U-19 title in the Luzon leg last June in Makati City.

Albo, being groomed as the next badminton star, repulsed Lyrden Laborte of Visayas, 21-15, 21-23, 21-11, then routed Mindanao’s Michael Jastine Perez, 21-6, 21-7, to claim the boys’ Under-13 singles plum.

Meanwhile, Visayas bet April Dianne Bibiano of Bacolod City leaned on her quick service attacks to stun national junior player Sarah Joy Barredo of Luzon, 21-11, 21-15, and Janine Peligrino of Mindanao, 21-18, 21-12, to snatch the girls’ Under-19 singles crown in the event sanctioned by the Philippine Badminton Association (PBA) and was part of the Philippine National Ranking System.

Carl Bernard Bejasa of Visayas upended Mindanao bet Arthur Samuel Salvado, 21-12, 18-21, 21-17, then stopped Albo, 21-18, 21-16, to annex the boys’ 15-U title in the tournament backed by Sun Cellular, Smart Communications, MVP Sports Foundation, PBA Smash Pilipinas, Prima Pasta, Rocktape Phils. and Babolat, and powered by the Forthright Events.

Laville Laborte of Visayas swept Lourdes Babanto of Visayas, 21-11, 21-16, and won by default over Luzon’s Virginia Lopez to pocket the 15-U girls’ singles crown.

Visayas’ Emilio Mangubat walloped Daniel Pantanosas of Mindanao, 21-12, 21-15, then scored a walkover win over Fides Joven Bagasbas of Luzon to cop the boys’ U-17 diadem while Mindanao’s Jiselle Joy Capillo held off Visayas bet Rose Tingson, 21-17, 21-19, then turned back Luzon’s Chanelle Lunod, 21-13, 18-21, 21-14, to snare the U-17 girls’ singles plum.