Northern Marianas host doubles tournament

Dubbed as the 2009 IT&E Badminton Doubles Tournament, the event will feature competitions in five divisions, namely the men's A, men's and women's B, and men's and women's C.

Slots on the tournament are limited so NMBF is encouraging interested participants to register before the event kicks off on March 28.

The men' A division is open only to five pairs, while the B division will have only eight teams each for the men's and women's. The women's C category will accept only four squads apiece for the women's and men's.

The men's A and men's and women's C divisions will have a double round-robin format, while the men's and women's B will be a single round robin affair. The Top 4 teams in each division will advance to the crossover semifinals with the No. 1 squad facing the No. 4 team for the first finals ticket. The No. 2 and 3 squads will duel for the other finals seat.

NMBF through president Shirley Kim expressed its appreciation for IT&E's support to the tournament.

“We are thankful to our avid sponsors, especially IT&E, for their generosity in helping us run this event. “We are looking forward to another successful and fun tournament through the cooperation of NMBF members and supporters,” Kim said.

Kim, along with NMBF vice president Edwin Montoya, treasurer Malou Mendoza, and board member Lito Mendoza, received a $800 check from IT&E yesterday in a brief donation ceremony at the telecommunication company's office in Susupe.

The donation, according to Rose Soledad, IT&E's regional controller for finance and accounting, shows the company's commitment in supporting various activities in the CNMI.

“Despite the crisis we are experiencing right now, IT&E is committed to help various organizations in the CNMI, such as the NMBF. We are committed in promoting sports, physical fitness, and camaraderie among members of the sports community,” Soledad said.

The doubles tournament will run until April 19 with games to be played every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday only. Matches every Friday and Saturday will run from 6pm to 10pm, while Sunday's games will start from 2pm until 8pm.

Tournament director Macoi Aguda said this is the first time that NMBF is holding an exclusive doubles tournament.

“Our tournaments in the past were team events with players teaming up with different partners. Now, players will have only one partner and they will have more focus and time to prepare for their matches, and this will make the competition pretty exciting,” Aguda said.