NMBF holds tourney for youth campers
A tournament was held for participants of the Northern Marianas Badminton Federation’s youth summer clinic more than three weeks ago at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.
Dubbed simply as Junior Badminton Tournament, the competition saw the doubles team of Pauline Cielo and Crystalline Cristobal emerge as champions of the under-18 age group, while Ezekiel Macario and Christine Vicena were the top performers in the under-11 age group.
Cielo and Cristobal started strong by beating Luis Camacho and Lawrence Camacho in the opening round, 21-13, 21-8, to move into the second round.
Other opening round results in the under-18 age group saw Daniel Macario and Glida Ogarro fashion out a 21-14, 21-17 victory over John Capuyon and Armalene Cabreros; Mark Noel Puno and Erica Ann Palacios beat Manatsu Omori and Mikky Vargas; 21-14, 21-17; and Louie Cielo and Jenine Savellano outlast Mike Vargas and Christine Cristobal, 21-17, 17-21, 21-17.
In the semifinals, Pauline Cielo and Cristobal faced off against Louie Cielo and Savellano and advanced to the championship round following a hard-earned 23-21, 21-12 win.
Macario and Ogarro, meanwhile, took care of business in the other half of the Final Four after taking out Puno and Palacios, 21-11, 21-19.
In the game for all the marbles, Pauline Cielo and Cristobal edged out Macario and Ogarro in a score of 23-21, 21-12.
Ezekiel Macario and Vicena, for their part, advanced from the opening round with a 21-12, 18-21, 21-13 win over Jylan Capuyon and Paula Gozon.
The only other first round match in the under-12 division then had Kanata Omori and Camille Limon edge Rodwealth Espana and Bea Arcilla, 24-22, 24-22.
In the finals, Ezekiel Macario and Vicena got the better of Omori and Limon, 21-9, 21-13, to hoist the championship of their age group.
The champions of the 18-under and 11-under divisions each won for themselves new badminton racquets from the NMBF as well as one month free training from the fledgling group’s instructors.
The Junior Badminton Tournament was the concluding event of NMBF’s three-week youth summer clinic.