ROSALIE SOBERANO and Ralph Ian Mendez took different routes but produced the same results when they trounced their respective rivals to sweep the singles crowns for Shuttler’s Haven at the close of the JVC Regional Badminton Championships at the Pohang Badminton Center in Bacolod City over the weekend.
Soberano downed Iloilo Doctors’ Annalyn Alba, 116, 11-7, to bag the ladies crown, while Mendez recovered in time to thwart teammate Karl Sorronda, 15-2, 11-15, 15-4, and cop the men’s diadem in the elite division of the event which capped the four-leg swing of the regional tournament sponsored by JVC (PHILS.) Inc. The Sigma Capiz bets, on the other hand, dominated the juniors side when Lynette Esico and Rennell Japsay beat Malou Martinez, also of Sigma Capiz BC, 11-8, 11-8, and John Deanon, 7-15, 15-13, 15-7, to capture the girls and boys’ titles.
Other winners in the event, organized by IMG and backed by Gosen, Cebu Pacific, Water Front Hotels, Lactacyd and Accel, were Alba and Wilma Elizar (elite ladies doubles), Alex Borromeo-Diesmo Salvador of Pohang BC (elite men’s doubles), Salvador and Sheila Ledesma (elite mixed doubles), Japsay and Joseph Judit (juniors boys doubles), Martinez and Rhejelin Garrino (juniors girls doubles), and Judit and Esico (juniors mixed doubles).
In college team play, University of San Jose-Recoletos pulled off a 2-1 victory over Riverside College to win the men’s crown while Iloilo Doctors College also posted a 2-1 win over Riverside College to capture the ladies title. For details, log on to www.jvcbad-minton.com.
The winners will join the other victors in the three other regional tournaments in Pampanga, Cebu and Davao in the JVC Open Badminton Championships set to start July 4-10 at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati City.
