Father's Day Badminton Weeken Open

In celebration of Father's Day NMBF will hold a game specially just for dads.

Entry fee and date of event to be announced later.

For more info and registration please see or contact tournamnet director Macoi Aguda @ 285-4117 or membership committee head Hapi Gabriel @ 287-4274.

Announcement: Night Games Schedules

Night Games schedules will be on THURSDAY (May 29) & SATURDAY (May 31) @ 6:30pm to 9:30pm.

We will keep you posted for any changes or any other schedules.

Jonathan Perez: "Till we meet again"

NMBF founder Jonathan Perez has left the CNMI on May 24 for his new job venture and to be with his family in the Philippines.

Jon Perez founded the NMBF in 2005 and the group has rapidly grown to more than 150 players and more than 80 active members.

Monday Lunch Club: NMBF "Eat-Together"

Every MOnday NMBF members get together for lunch at the house of each volunteer member.

Malou and Lito Mendoza's House

Juliet Ramos' House

Merlie & Jojo Savellano's House

Babes Cielo's House

Elma Labuson's House

If you want to volunteer for Monday Lunch "Eat-Together" please inform membership committee head Hapi Gabriel.

Congratulations! 1st Annual Michelob Ultra Badminton Winners

Men’s A Single Champion - Priyantha Wijay

Men’s A Doubles Champion – Priyantha Wijay and John Nguyen

Men's B Doubles
1st - Joseph Santos and Alvin Alvarez
2nd - Saul Gargallo and Roger Vales
3rd - Sherwin Samson and Ariel Mariano

Men's C Doubles
Champion - Paul Navarro and Efren Cacdac

Women's B Doubles
1st Babes Cielo and Loyda Ito
2nd Marlene Peraja and Emily Vargas
3rd Merlie Savellano and Camille Samote

Women's C Doubles

Champion - Angie Ito and Anna Rose Omori

Mixed doubles

1st Roger Vales and Malou Malasarte
2nd Gerry Balarao and Lot Abuel
3rd Lucelle Lampera and Gary Bandoja

NMBF holds victory party

Northern Marianas Badminton Federation held its Awarding and Victory party for the recently concluded Inaugural Annual Michelob Ultra Badminton Tournament winners last May 17, 2008 at 6pm at the Chambre Bar, Fiesta Resort Hotel & Spa.

Twelve pairs and one singles player in the seven divisions were awarded certificates, cash prizes and NMBF T-shirt for their feat.

Special guest performers of the evening were Tammy as Jennifer Holiday and Jolina as Patti Labelle. NMBF members Renren Santos, Noelle Wong, Eydie Uy, Juliet Ramos, Diane Darjuan and Hapi Gabriel displayed also their talent in their “Don’t Cha” dance number.

The event was also highlighted by a photomontage made by NMBF President Marconi Calindas and Membership Committee head Hapi Gabriel as a tribute to NMBF founder Jonathan Perez who has gone back to work in the Philippines.

More than 70 members and guests attended the celebration.

The inaugural tournament and the banquet were supported in part by Michelob-MARPAC, At Your Service, SaipanCell, JET Holdings, PFC International, PMIC, Serenity Salon, Elegance Café, NIC, Admaran International, Canton Restaurant, National Office Supply, Makeover Beauty Salon, Megavision, Venus Beauty Salon, Vargas Construction, Esolutions Inc., Philippine Consul General Wilfredo Maximo, Fiesta Resort & Spa and N.C. Matsumoto.

A night of fun and farewell

Some of the winners in the recently concluded Michelob-Ultra Badminton Tournament pose for a group photo. (Hapi Gabriel)


By Jon Perez
Reporter

The Northern Marianas Badminton Federation honored the winners of the recently concluded Inaugural Michelob Ultra Badminton Tournament in a simple ceremony held at the Chambre Bar of the Fiesta Resort & Spa.

It was a night of fun and endless merriment as the usual humor brought by event hosts Hapi Gabriel, Marconi Calindas, and Macoi Aguda brought barrels of laughter from the more than 70 NMBF members that packed the Chambre Bar as they made fun of each other and the unwilling victims that they see during the night.

Winners of the inaugural Michelob Ultra badminton meet were awarded certificates for their feat.

Leading the list of winners is Priyanthan Wijayaguharatne, who won the men's A singles and teamed up with John Nguyen to claim the men's A doubles crown.

Joseph Santos and Alvin Alvarez topped the men's B with Roger Vales and Saul Gargallo ending up in second place. Ariel Mariano and Sherwin Samson placed third. Efren Cacdac and Paul Navarro claimed the men's C title.

Lourdes Cielo partnered with Loyda Ito to rule the women's B doubles division while Ana Rose Omori paired up with Angi Ito in the women's C class in the month-long tournament sponsored, in part, by Michelob-MARPAC, At Your Service, SaipanCell, JET Holdings, PMIC, Serenity Salon, Elegance Café, NIC, Canton Restaurant, National Office Supply, Makeover Beauty Salon, Megavision, Venus Beauty Salon, Vargas Construction, Esolutions Inc., Philippine Consul General Wilfredo Maximo, N.C. Matsumoto, PFC International, Traders Insurance, and Tropex Garden.

Emily Vargas and Marlene Peraja finished second in the women's B, while Merlie Savellano and Camille Samonte placed third.

Vales, meanwhile, teamed up with Malou Malasarte to earn the mixed doubles while Geary Balarao and Lot Abuel placed second. Gary Bandoja and Lucelle Lampera finished third.

It was also a night of farewells as the NMBF said goodbye to its founding president, Jonathan Perez, who will be going back to work in the Philippines.

Incumbent NMBF president Marconi Calindas and secretary Hapi Gabriel made a video and photomontage of how the NMBF started, highlighting Perez's contributions in helping promote the sport.

NMBF officials and members then alternated in giving their messages and wishing Perez the best of luck on his return home.

(Saipan Tribune)