PH badminton bets looking to bounce back in Asia Team Championships

PH Women’s Team head coach Ian Mendez, Smart Communication’s Atty. Eric Espanol, PBA secretary-general Christopher Quimpo, Badminton Asia COO Saw Chit Boon, PBA president Albee Benitez, PBA’s Atty. Jackie Cruz, Badminton Asia’s Belle Ng Yein Mun and Chooi Weng Sheng, and PH Men’s Team head coach Ronald Magnaye. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—A disappointing run in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games is now the Philippines’ biggest motivation heading into the 2020 Badminton Asia Manila Team Championships.

The continental tournament, which the country will host, will run from Feb. 11 to 16 at Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

Ian Mendez and Ronald Magnaye, the head coaches of the women and men’s teams, respectively, both have the SEA Games in mind and they want to right their mistakes in the regional competition.

“We need to prepare since we fell short in the SEA Games. We need to double time, triple time with our effort,” said Mendez.

“We are playing the best in the world. We fell short during the SEA Games, but hopefully we will give them a good fight this time,” said Magnaye.

The Philippines failed to win a single medal in the SEA Games.

Joper Escueta, Ariel Magnaye, Alvin Morada, Solomon Padiz Jr., Paul John Pantig, Ros Pedrosa, Arthur Salvado, and Lanz Zafra make up the men’s team that is slotted at Group A with top-seed Indonesia and no.5 team India.

Nicole Albo, Sarah Barredo, Mika De Guzman, Geva De Vera, Ysay Leonardo, Chanelle Lunod, Bianca Carlos, and Thea Pomar banner the Philippines in the women’s side in Group C with fellow Southeast Asian teams Thailand and Indonesia.

China, the runner-up in 2018, headline Group B with Thailand and Hong Kong while Group C has Chinese-Taipei, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Japan, which will be without the world’s no.1 player Kento Momota who’s recovering from a vehicular accident in 2019, is in Group D with Korea and Kazakhstan.

On the women’s side, defending champion Japan heads Group W with Malaysia and Hong Kong.

Korea, Kazakhstan, and Idia are in Group X while China, Chinese-Taipei, and Singapore are the countries in Group Z.

The top two teams in each group will advance to the knockout quarterfinals while the four semifinalists will get to play in the Thomas and Uber Cup in Aarhus, Denmark.