In the News: Saturday Badminton Open

Lazaro, Villaflor rule weekend badminton open

By Jon Perez


(Christy Villaflor, left, and Jojo Lazaro show off their prize money after winning Saturday's Northern Marianas Badminton Federation Saturday Weekend Open at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymansium.)

The duo of Jojo Lazaro and Christy Villaflor bested five other pairs to rule the Northern Marianas Badminton Federation weekend open, which returned after a weeklong break last Saturday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

Lazaro and Villaflor defeated the pair of Shirley Kim and Bong Soller, 21-19, 21-16, in the finals. They earned the first finals berth after a hard-earned 21-15, 20-22, 21-19 decision against the tandem of NMBF president Marconi Calindas and Michelle Callon.

Kim and Soller, meanwhile, dispatched the Marlene Peraja-Edwin Montoya tandem in the other semis match, 21-14, 21-19.

The weekend open is a double-elimination round format depending on the number of pairs that join in the one-day games, which is being held every Saturday morning from 8am to 11am.

The weekend open is also a practice session for NMBF players to prepare them for the upcoming tournament on April 19.