By Roselyn B. Monroyo
Variety News Staff

TOURNAMENT top seed Macoi Aguda and Raj Jayalal lived up to expectations ruling the men’s A doubles division of the inaugural Traders Insurance/PTI Cup badminton last Thursday at the Gilbert C. Ada Gym.
Aguda and Jayalal were undefeated in the tournament capping their flawless performance with a 21-10, 18-21, 21-15 win against Ryan Achas and Lito Mendoza in the finals.
Other winners were the men’s C division pair of Narlou Achas and Ariel Mariano, Deborah Fisher, Camille Samonte and Milo Valdez
Narlou and Mariano tied Aries Cordero and Jason Junio in the preliminary with identical 3-0 records. In the finals, Narlou and Mariano handed Cordero and Junio their first loss in the tournament after a 22-20, 20-22, 21-17 win.
Efren Cacdac and Chris Hilario grabbed third place after winning via a default over Ric Brien and Alex Guanco
Fisher won two titles. She first played in the women’s C division finals teaming up with Samonte in downing beating Lea Estinopio and Rose Lazaro, 21-11, 21-19, in the championship match.
Malou Mendoza and Lupe Sabino secured the third place honors in the women’s C division.
Next stop for Fisher was the mixed C finals and it produced the same results, although she and Valdez had a hard time in the first set. Fisher and Valdez lost the opening set, 18-21, but recovered sweeping the last two sets, 21-13, 21-19.
Meanwhile, three more division titles will be contested in the Northern Marianas Badminton Federation-organized tournament this week, namely the men’s B, women’s A/B and mixed A/B divisions.