Badminton fans treated to thrilling games

Spectators at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium react after Chinese-Taipei’s Hsu Ya Ching and Lin Wan Ching scored match point during their women’s doubles finals game against South Korea’s Lee Yu Lim and Shin Seung Chan in the Crowne Plaza Northern Marianas Open 2023 last Sunday.(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

The Crowne Plaza Northern Marianas Open 2023 delivered as promised with badminton fans treated to exciting matches at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium last week.

Three of the five championship matches last Sunday went down-to-the-wire, while the quarterfinals and many semis last Friday and Saturday were also decided in three games. And though there were several other matches that were completed after two games over the weekend, the scores would tell they were still hard-fought ones, as the winning margins were slim. These exciting matches kept spectators on edge of their seat, while many were seen applauding players diving on the match to successfully return the shuttlecock, turning their heads left and right glued on a long rally, and some exchanging high-fives in approval of players they were rooting for.

Marianas High School student Paolo Quidato, who played in the qualifier in the men’s singles and main draw in the doubles (with Daniel Macario), was among the spectators at the Crowne Plaza Northern Marianas Open 2023 last weekend and was in awe of the finals matches, specifically the women’s singles play between South Korea’s Kim Ga Ram and 16-year-old Tomoka Miyazaki. Miyazaki drew first blood to move closer to the women’s singles crown, 21-15, but Kim, who had to go through a qualifier to make it to the main draw, rallied and won the next two games to steal the title, 25-23, 21-13. 

The women’s singles finals lasted for one hour and six minutes, the second longest match last Sunday. The men’s doubles finals between eventual winners Hsu Ya Ching and Hsu Ya Ching of Chinese-Taipei and South Korea’s Lee Yu Lim and Shin Seung Chan was the longest championship game. The Chinese-Taipei closed out the game with a 21-19, 18-21, 22-20 victory after one hour and 18 minutes, which was also the longest in the entire tournament. The first game in the mixed doubles semis match between Japan’s Hashiru Shimono and Miku Shigeta and Chinese-Taipei’s Wu Guan Xun and Yang Chu Yun last Saturday was the most extended in the competition with the Japanese winning, 27-25.

“These were the kind of games that were never seen before on Saipan. I know they felt the pressure because us, watching and seating on the bleachers were feeling the intensity of every game.  To see a 16-year-old playing at that kind of level is such an inspiration for me as a young player trying to improve my skills every game,” said Quidato.

Shirley Kim, treasurer of Northern Marianas Badminton Association, which organized the Crowne Plaza Northern Marianas Open 2023 and the ongoing TakeCare Saipan International 2023, also joined the gallery of crowd and could not help but react to every good play. 

“The long rallies were superb. You could not tell who will fold up or who will win the exchanges. Players move so quickly that I tend to react every time the shuttlecock drops or if someone makes a powerful smash and the opponent misses the return,” Kim said.

Saipan Southern High School student Jasmine John was with her classmates and watched games for three days last week and loved every bit of the matches they witnessed.

“It makes you want to be on the court too and play, even though you know you will feel the same high pressure because of how competitive the players are,” said John, who played in the NMBA and Public School System-organized interscholastic league early this year.

“The way they played a fast-paced game makes you want to know how you could be like them and reach that level,” said John, who was also at the bleachers last Tuesday afternoon when the second and last leg of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games qualifying double-header kicked off.

NMBA thanks sponsors, volunteers
Meanwhile, NMBA president Merlie Tolentino credited the sponsors and volunteers of the Crowne Plaza Northern Marianas Open 2023 for the success of the competition.

“It’s a team effort. Everyone involved in the preparations for the event and actual tournament made their significant contributions to ensure that we are able to run a successful tournament and provide our visitors a great experience in their first week of stay in the NMI. The exciting games we witnessed in the first week make us look forward to even higher levels of matches this week as we start the TakeCare Saipan International,” Tolentino said.

The Crowne Plaza Northern Marianas Open 2023 and the TakeCare Saipan International are sponsored by Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan, TakeCare IT&E, D&Q, GPPC , Tan Siu Lin Foundation, Fanter, Marianas Visitors Authority, Marianas Variety, Saipan Computer Services-Ideal Sign, Hong Ye Construction, Island Apparel, Joeten Motors, Joeten Daidai Foundation, Traders Insurance, Cup BAB, Pacifica Insurance, Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation, CNMI Department of Fire And Emergency Medical Services, McDonald’s, Bridge Capital, Shirley’s Coffee Shop, MARPAC, Northern Marianas Sports Association, Pepoy’s Restaurant, Sun Palace, Vickie Izuka, Saipan Ice, First Hawaiian Bank, AYD, Transpacific International Inc. Group of Companies, E-Land, American Red Cross-NMI Chapter, and JET Holdings.

Matches this week will run from 10am to 9am (June 14); 12nn to 9pm (June 15); 1pm to 9pm (June 16); 4pm to 9pm (June 17/semis); and 2pm to 7pm (June 18/finals). (PR)