Alcalas sweep PBaRS Open crowns

FOURTEEN-year-old Mark Shelley Alcala shattered top seed Toby Gadi’s cloak of invincibility in the MVP Sports Foundation-PBaRs tournament, pulling off a shocking 21-14, 21-12 upset of the seven-time Open men’s singles division champion at Robinsons Place Manila on Thursday.

Alcala played his guts out despite suffering from diarrhea on the day of the finale, fashioning out the biggest upset of the tournament sanctioned by the Philippine Badminton Association headed by Vice President Jejomar Binay with sportsman Manny V. Pangilinan as chair.

Alcala’s elder sister Malvinne Anne also bucked a bum stomach and pulled through against Under-19 tormentor Bianca Carlos, snatching the Open women’s singles crown via a 21-18, 21-16 verdict, and completing the Alcalas’ sweep of the centerpiece Open division.