THE Philippine national badminton team bagged three gold medals last Sunday in the Benin International at the Gymnase Institut Régional de Santé Publique in Ouidah.
Alvin Morada and Yssa Leonardo took two mints in mixed doubles in an all-Filipino final in the tourney that is part of the Badminton World Federation’s Future Series.
Morada, a National University alumnus, and Leonardo, a La Salle product, hurdled compatriots Christian Bernardo and Thea Pomar in three games 21-13,18-21, 21-17 in a grueling 42-minute duel.
“It was a great performance for the players these past two tournaments in Africa, and to have both pairs in the finals in mixed doubles showed what we can do,” Philippine team coach Rosman Razak said.
Morada and Bernardo made short work of Nigeria’s Saddam Sidi Rufai and Khalil Safana Shamsuddeen 21-12, 21-9 in the final of the men’s doubles, while Leonardo and Pomar also fashioned a 21-13, 21-17 drubbing of Egypt’s Jana Abdelkader and Nour Ahmed Youssri in the women’s side.
Singles players Jewel Angelo Albo and Mika De Guzman bowed out of the meet in the second round.
Albo dropped a close 10-21, 21-8, 19-21 decision to Malaysia’s Kim Sheng Chua, while De Guzman absorbed a 21-19, 16-21, 14-21 defeat to third seed Amro Domou of Jordan.
The Philippine shuttlers now shift their sights on two events in Indonesia — the Indonesia International Series Yogyakarta and the Indonesia International Challenge Yogyakarta.
