Badminton’s world No. 1 to join FDG Cup in July

MANILA, Philippines – World no. 1 Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia will strut his stuff in an exhibition match in the FDG Cup 2011 National Open and Invitational badminton tournament in July.

Lee will go up against compatriot Koo Kien Keat, the other half of the pair ranked world No. 4 in men’s doubles, in one of the highlights of the event set from July 1 to 2 at PowerSmash in Makati City.

Malvinne Alcala, the Philippines’ top singles player and champion in the Singapore and Australian Juniors Open, will team up with Danica San Ignacio in the women’s doubles competition.

But the pair expects a tough challenge from Gelita Castilo and Dia Nicole Magno, the duo who swept the Open women’s doubles crowns in the recents PBaRS (Philippine Badminton Ranking System) circuit.

Ronel Estanislao and Paul Vivas head a tough Open men’s doubles field that also includes Aries delos Santos and Gabriel Villanueva, John Monterubio and Gerard Sibayan, Andrei Babad and Peter Magnaye.

Tabbed as favorites in the Open mixed doubles are Estanislao and Alcala, who will go up against the tandems of Vivas and Ana Patricia Barredo, Kevin Dalisay and Pia Fabros and Roden Rivera Jr. and Pauline Marie Tan.

Cash prizes worth more than P500,000 are up for grabs in the tournament held in honor of Robinsons Land Corp. president Frederick D. Go. The Invitational will also feature employees and business partners of Robinsons Land Corp.

Posting of entries is set on Monday (Jan. 20), while the draw is slated June 24 starting at 4 p.m. at the Crown Plaza Hotel-Emerald C.

For details, visit www. fdgcup.com or contact Nelson Asuncion at 725-4942 or Glenn Encarnacion/Richard Bautista at 0922-8733369.