Search for PHL badminton Olympian begins

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Badminton Association has lined up international sorties for its bets as it aims to send a Filipino bet to the Olympics again.

“We want to produce an Olympian and we know it’s not gonna be easy,” said Jackie Cruz, PBA-Smash Pilipinas team manager, of the target set for the association by chairman Manny V. Pangilinan and secretary general Albee Benitez.

The Philippines was last represented in the prestigious Games in 1996 via Weena Lim and couldn't qualify another bet since.

The qualification process for the Rio Olympics will blast off May 1 until April 30 of 2016 through several Badminton World Federation-sanctioned tournaments.

“It’s gonna be hard because world powers in badminton are in Asia but we’ll try our best,” said Cruz.

To get the ball rolling, the team is eyeing participation in the Iran Fajr International Challenge in Tehran on February 12 to 15, the 2015 Austria Open in Vienna on February 18 to 21 and the 2015 Yonex German Open on February 24 to March 1.

“Our players still need exposure to high-level competition,” said PBA-Smash Pilipinas’ Indonesian coach Paulus Firman.

Badminton officials are getting confidence from the rise of the Phl men’s doubles pairs from the high 400s to the Top 70s in the BWF rankings after just 12 tournaments since 2014. Joper Escueta and Ronel Estanislao are currently ranked 69th while Peter Magnaye and Paul Jefferson Vivas are 71st.

For Rio, 16 slots will be available in the men’s doubles as well as the women’s doubles and mixed doubles and 38 berths each in the men’s singles and women’s singles.

Firman admitted that given the short time, the Pinoy bets would go through the eye of the needle in the race for Rio. But for 2020, he said, the Phl can start honing now.

“As coach said, we can start identifying potential Olympians now and train them for 2020,” said Cruz.