Shuttlers Gadi, Carlos tipped to repeat

TOBY Gadi and Bianca Carlos gear up for title repeats in the centerpiece Open division as the MVP Sports Foundation-Philippine Badminton Ranking System  (PBaRS) stages its second leg this year on Oct. 27 to 31 at Powersmash and Makati Coliseum.

But a slew of other contenders will be out to foil Gadi and Carlos’ bids for ranking points.

Gadi and Carlos topped their respective divisions in the first leg in Cebu last May and will go into the five-day event with the top ranking.

“The MVP Sports Foundation-PBaRS brings back the trust, respect and confidence in the new badminton [ranking] system,” said tournament director Nelson Asuncion. “We now have the basis to identify the best [players] and at the same time spot the young players with potentials.”

Expected to crowd Gadi in the Open men’s singles are the next four players in the rankings—Peter Magnaye, Paul Vivas, Joper Escueta and Patrick Natividad—while Carlos will slug it out with the likes of Gelita Castilo, Bianca Legaspi, Malvinne Ann Alcala and Danica Bolos.

Focus will also be on Mark Alcala, who swept the U-19 and U-15 singles in Cebu. The 13-year-old Alcala is fresh off a victory in the Swiss Juniors last month where he humbled older, veteran players to top the U-17 class.