By MARK REY MONTEJO
Young and promising Filipino shuttlers are looking forward to showcasing their talent when the country plays host to the 2026 Philippine Junior International Series starting Tuesday, Aug. 4, at the Gameville Central Park in Mandaluyong City.
Following the successful staging of senior category of the said event, local shuttlers from the youth division take the center stage this time with more than 30 countries joining the fray and battling for glory, including powerhouse Malaysia, Indonesia, and India alongside other local clubs are also participating in the
Apart from giving the young guns the opportunity to further hone their craft, one of the Philippine Badminton Association’s (PBAD) goals is to eventually become the country’s “next big thing” even in the Olympics.
“Gusto nating tignan kung gaano kalayo ‘yong mapupuntahan no’ng mga training and ano pa ‘yong mga dapat i-improve,” said PBAD program director Kennie Asuncion, one of the Asuncion siblings who became the first-ever Filipinos to vie in the World Badminton Championships in the early 2000s.
“Excited tayong lahat, and hopefully, with this program na magtuloy-tuloy… mapakita natin sa ibang Southeast Asian countries [na kaya nating sumabay] and the hosting. I think that helps to entire body of the country para mag-improve,” she added.
Also, PBAD aims to rekindle the popularity of the sport here in the country.
“Definitely that’s the goal to bring back the love in badminton here,” Asuncion continued.
“First of all, sport could bring the PH community together… The second thing is we love our heroes, especially the one who fights for us when they compete overseas. We have these heroes in badminton, said PBAD secretary general Shawntel Nieto, an erstwhile Ateneo badminton standout.
There will be two age categories – U19 and U15 – with both having men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles in the six-day joust that offers a $10,000 (around P600,000) prize pool.
Roaquine Mari Ramos and Christel Rei Fuentespina, both member of the national team, are expected to headline more than hundreds local smashers in the continental joust
“Siyempre kailangan ng mga bata ‘yong mga ganto’ng klaseng competition para mas sumabay pa sila, lalo na sa mga international competitions,” said head coach PBAD Smash Pilipinas Philip Joper Escueta
