THE MVP Sports Foundation (MVPSF) and Smart has extended its support to the Philippine Badminton Association (PBAD) through its sponsorship of the Philippine Badminton Open at the Dragonsmash Badminton Center along Chino Roces Avenue in Makati City from February 20 to 26.
The MVPSF support to PBAD is inspired by PLDT and (PBAD) Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan’s love for the sport which he highlighted with the establishment of the MVP Center for Sports Excellence in Antipolo City in 2021.
The center houses eight courts where national athletes train—specifically this year for the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia in May.
“Aside from contributing to the training of our national team, we are also maximizing opportunities to support the development of badminton in our country—from grassroots to our national team,” said Christopher “Epok” Quimpo, AVP at Smart and Secretary General of PBAD.
“Our love for badminton stems from the belief that sports promote values like discipline, mental resilience, and sportsmanship, which could help us all become better people,” Quimpo added.
More than 500 players in five categories—men’s and women’s singles and doubles and mixed doubles are expected at the Super 500 tournament that offers a total price pot of P1 million.
PBAD will also introduce the country’s first official ranking system for badminton this year at the open.
Interested athletes can register through the tournament’s official portal https://tinyurl.com/PHIBadmintonOpen on or before February 5.
PLDT wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) also lauded the performance of Filipino athletes in their campaign for 2022.
“We’re very proud of our Philippine national badminton team. We’ve always seen their potential and we are glad to see them reaping the fruits of their labor,” said Jude Turcuato, Head of Sports at PLDT and Smart. “We still have a long way to go, but with the right support and right team to back our players, we know that they can succeed.”
Alvin Morada and Christian Bernardo were the men’s doubles champions in the 2022 Benin International and second-placers in the Yonex-Sunrise Bangladesh International Challenge and VN Da Thanh–Felet Vietnam International Series.
The Filipino national team also bagged the Mixed Doubles championship with
The Morada-Alyssa Ysabel Leonardo and Thea Marie Pomar-Leonardo tandems bagged bronze medals in mixed doubles in the Vietnam tournament.
The Philippines is now ranked 66th in the world in badminton.