Mayor Tudela to grace badminton league opening

By Jon Perez
Reporter

Raj Jayalalal of Sri Lanka in action in this file photo from a recent Northern Marianas Badminton Federation tournament. (Jacqueline Hernandez) Saipan Mayor Juan B. Tudela will be one of the special guests who will attend the opening rites of the inaugural Northern Marianas Badminton Federation Team Competition, which opens on Oct. 6 at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

Tudela is one of the special guests the NMBF has invited for its Davis Cup-style tournament. Northern Marianas Amateur Sports Association president Michael A. White will send a representative, while House Speaker Oscar Babauta has already confirmed his attendance.

Tudela said promoting a healthy lifestyle has been a priority of his administration. “For the past years, healthy living and physical activities have been a priority in our ways of life.”

Promoting a healthy lifestyle of living through physical activities and sports development is one of the NMBF's main objectives.

Tudela said a healthy lifestyle could be achieved through tournaments and outdoor activities such as the NMBF's league-type format competition. “With your new organization, one can also enjoy physical activities through [badminton].”

The NMBF is a two-year organization that also aims to develop badminton at the grassroots level and hopefully in the next five years send one or two local players as representatives to international competitions.

Tudela commended the NMBF for taking the lead in promoting an active and healthy lifestyle on Saipan. “As we strive forward to more challenges in our life, I would like to commend [the NMBF] in taking the extra step in ensuring that active lifestyles are paramount in our community.”

The seven-team tournament follows a round-robin type format and is expected to end on Nov. 17. The tournament format will have one team play four events of seven games in one day consisting of one men's singles, two games each in the men's and women's doubles, mixed doubles, and one open event.

It will be anything goes in the open event, where team captains can field their strongest players.

Each team in any of the seven games will accumulate wins with the squad that has the most wins declared champion. Cash prizes and trophies await the Top 3 finishers.

Shuttlers must have played a minimum of five games in any of the four events offered in the duration of the tournament. No player is allowed to play three games in one day.

Organizers of the tournament have already sought several companies for assistance in sponsoring a team or teams in the Saturday-only tournament.

Some of the companies and businesses that committed to sponsor a team or donate prizes are Pacific Telecom Inc., Traders Insurance, Labtech, Pure H20, Sun Palace, Admaran International, Salon de Manila, Tan Holdings, SaipanCell, and B&E Construction.

The entrance fee per team is $500 where $300 will be shouldered by a sponsor/s, while the remaining amount will be divided among the eight players of a team.

Early this year, the NMBF held the Inaugural Traders Insurance/PTI Cup Badminton Tournament with 27 pairs being honored in the month-long tournament.

The NMBF held its first tournament on Oct. 9, 2006 where close to 40 players joined the five-day competition.

For more information, call NMBF vice president Edwin Montoya at 288-1436, or email at NMBF@yahoogroups.com.

A Tribute to the Great...

Bye-bye Macoi (Makwa)

Shuttler Aguda leaves Saipan today

By Jon Perez
Reporter

Macoi Aguda falls on the floor while trying to hit the shuttle in this file photo taken during the the inaugural Northern Marianas Badminton Federation Tournament in Oct. 10, 2006. (Mark Rabago) Macoi Aguda's high-flying acts, powerful smashes, and numerous trick shots, plus the overall knowledge of the sport of badminton will surely be missed at the makeshift badminton court inside the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

Badminton regulars at the Ada Gym will miss even the off-court exuberance demonstrated by Aguda as his friendly personality and always-glad-to-help attitude aided countless individuals improve their game in the new sport being introduced by the Northern Marianas Badminton Federation to the CNMI.

The 28-year-old Aguda will be leaving Saipan today in search for greener pastures in the mainland after being one of those luckily recruited to work in the hotel industry in Florida.

Aguda is a thing to watch inside the badminton court, during tournaments and practice games, as he treats audiences to a rare spectacle of how beautifully badminton is played and how easy it is to be learned.

Among Aguda's string of achievements in his brief eight-month stay on Saipan are winning the men's doubles title with Raj Jayalal in the NMBF's second organized tournament, the Traders Insurance/PTI Cup in May; and three trophies in the NMBF's inaugural games last year: mixed doubles crown with Janice Bungalos, a second place finish in the men's singles, and placing third in the men's doubles division with teammate Marconi Calindas.

But it is not only inside the court that Aguda showcased his talents as the former Shirley's Coffee Shop supervisor also won second place honors in the Grand Fiesta Pop Music Festival when he interpreted Calindas' composition “Sweet December”.

Aguda, who started playing badminton in his early 20s, said it was only here on Saipan that he continuously played the sport. “Six months before going to Saipan, I played back in Manila but it is here where I played continuously.”

Aguda said despite his high level of playing he is still new in the sport. “If you play against the best in Manila even though you have picked up the sport for a little time you will be forced to play at the same level as your opponents.

“Manila has a high level of competition and a lot of people are playing it, it enhances your game when you play against them.”

Before taking up badminton, indoor volleyball was Aguda's first love as he was part of Malate Catholic School's varsity team for four years.

He played volleyball even when he is already in college and started learning badminton when he finished his B.S. Psychology degree at Far Eastern University in Manila.

NMBF officials and members held a farewell party for Aguda on Sept. 7 wishing him luck and good tidings as he embarks on a new journey in Florida.

List of players complete; membership meeting today

By Jon Perez
Reporter

The Northern Marianas Badminton Federation released the 64-player list that will see action in the upcoming league-type tournament next month at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

The 64 players are classified into the three divisions, namely: A, B, and C. They will be grouped into eight players in each team where they will play six or seven events in a round-robin format.

Leading the list are men's A players Ryan Achas, Lito Mendoza, Edwin Montoya, Raj Jayalal, Jerry Hibi, Jae Gang Lee, Eric Peña, and Priywathan Wijay.

Aside from the eight in the men's A division, there are 21 players in the men's B, and 15 in women's B while the men and women's C is composed of eight and 12 each.

Others in the list are Marconi Calindas, Patrick Fieldad, Jun Pineda, Shirley Kim, Christy Villaflor, Ronnie Lanuza, Michelle Salvador, Jojo Lazaro, Hapi Gabriel, Eydie Uy, Malou Malasarte, Ariel Mariano, Malou Guzman, Annette Quiambao, Joseph Santos, Jonathan Perez, June Padua, Marylyn Montano, Jason Junio, Lherie Galvan, and Juliet Ramos.

Rey Julongbayan, Jojo Savellano, Russell Salao, Gigi Zapanta, Aries Cordero, Cherry Javier, Angie Ito, Roger Vales, Celso Agui, Loida Ito, Elma Labuson, Narlou Achas, Irene Santiago, Lea Estinopo, Rommel Villaviza, Gary Bandoja, Merlie Savellano, Marlene Peraja, Lani Bartolome, Sherwin Pasillos, and Malou Mendoza will also see action.

Making up the rest of the participants are Bhabes Cielo, Ray Sanchez, Janis Parcon, Camille Samonte, Jorge Olanda, Emil De Belen, Robert Reyes, Edwin Maratas, Saul Gargallo, Hector Benitez, Ingrid Sanchez, Lot Abuel, Efren Cacdac, and Winnie Bonifacio.

The tournament format will have one team play four events of six or seven games in one day consisting of men's singles, two games each in the men's and women's doubles, and mixed doubles.

Each team will accumulate all wins with the squad that has the most wins after the seven-Saturday tournament being declared the champion. The league-type tournament will run up to Nov. 24. Cash prizes and trophies await the top three finishers.

Players must have played a minimum of five games in any of the four events offered in the duration of the tournament. No player is allowed to play three games in one day.

Organizers of the tournament have already sought several companies for assistance in sponsoring a team or teams in the Saturday-only tournament.

The entrance fee per team is $500 where $300 will be shouldered by a sponsor/s, while the remaining amount will be divided among the eight players of a team.

In other news, the NMBF will have a general membership meeting at 7pm today at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium before the start of the scheduled night practice session.

Aside from the discussing the tournament, another issue up for discussion is to fill in the positions of several inactive officers due to valid reasons.

For more information, call NMBF acting president Edwin Montoya at 288-1436 or PRO Mark Rabago at 235-0515, or email at nmbf@yahoogroups.com.