Shirley’s Badminton Classic kicks off Sept. 3

The Northern Marianas Badminton Association has added another signature event in its annual calendar of activities via the Shirley’s Badminton Classic.

The competition, sponsored by Shirley’s Coffee Shop, will be a mixed doubles contest and will be open to six divisions: Classes A, B and C, U12, U18, and 40-and-above. It will open on Sept. 3 at the TSL Sports Complex.

So far 57 pairs have already registered for the Shirley’s Classic with the 40-and-above and Class B drawing the most participants with 13 each.

In the 40-and-above division, Saipan Badminton Club has three entries in the tandems of Dick Guintu and Oh In Sook, Mario Diola and Hannah Choi, and Gary Bandoja and Kim Boranah. Saul Gargallo and Marlene Pereja will represent Dberks, while Shirley’s BC and Taga will have the pairs of Puy Macario and Annette Ta and Ed and Nona Salas, respectively. Others in the field are the teams of Lito Mendoza and Anna Alvarez, Roger Vales and Babes Cielo, Jojo Savellano and June Padua, Alvin Alvarez and Cheng Saturno, Vic Reyes and Annarose Omori, and Robert Reyes and Elma Labuson.

Dberks has the most teams in the Class B with three—Jojo and Jen Savellano, Erik Pena and Cielo, and Vales and Marylyn Montano. Joining them are Saipan Badminton Club’s Bandoja and Sook and Oh Inbog and Toshiko Obata, Taga’s Ariel Mariano and Cristy Villafor and Rodwealth Espana and Elna Curate, Rick Brien and Padua, Alvin Alvarez and Emily Vargas, Glenn Bultjenns and Wendy Fernandez, Chris Hilario and Ta, Sam Jones and Cris Obaldo, and Aries Cordero and Jaja Samonte.

The centerpiece Class A will feature eight pairs. The list includes Guintu and Choi, Diola and Obata, Macoi Aguda and Pereja, Ferdie Arago and Lanie Bartolome, Andrew Galvez and Angie Ito, Hapi Gabriel and Malou Malasarte, Gerry Hibi and Lucille Lampera, and Edwin Montoya and Cheng Saturno.

Guintu will also play in the Class Lower A and this time will be teaming up with Obata. Completing the field are Bandoja and Choi, Galvez and Merlie Tolentino, Espana and Ito, Aguda and Lot Abuel, Arago and Annette Quiambao, Robert Reyes and Malasarte, and Joseph Santos, and Lampera.

The Class C has Joel Ortega and Boranah, Luis Camacho and Rose Lazaro, Panapa Peteru and Lanie Santos, Eydie Uy and Malou Mendoza, Kanata Omori and Jeralyn Castillo, Jerome Malasarte and Fernandez, and Brandon Talania and Cris Obaldo. Four other are entered in Class C.

The U18 division will be a three-team fight among the tandems of Manatsu Omori and Jen Savellano, Kanata Omori and Miki Vargas, and Ezekiel Macario and Cris Obaldo.

Meanwhile, each club is requested to send a representative in tonight’s meeting at 7pm at the TSL Sports Complex.

Games in the Shirley’s Classic will be played on weekends.

The number of entries per category, groupings, rules, opening ceremony, umpires and line judges, and other important matters about the competition will be discussed at the meeting.