The NMI’s Lina Tsukagoshi reaches out for the lob return during a women’s singles match against the Cook Islands in the VICTOR Oceania Junior Team Championships 2025 at the Ada gym on Sunday.
Photo by James F. Sablan Jr.
The NMI’s Dave Odicta extends for the return alongside teammate Shaina Malonzo during a mixed doubles match against the Cook Islands in the VICTOR Oceania Junior Team Championships at the Ada gym.
Photo by James F. Sablan Jr.
TEAM NMI is off to a strong start in the VICTOR Oceania Junior Team Championships, defeating the Cook Islands, 3-2, at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium on Sunday.
Handing Team NMI its first win of the day was Lina Tsukagoshi, who brought down the Cook Islands’ Lana Toa, 15-12, 15-9.
The match started with Tsukagoshi as the aggressor. She used a unique high-serve technique that forced the shuttlecock downward, making it harder for her opponent to regain control.
After gradually adjusting, Toa mounted a comeback with precise returns and powerful smashes, eventually reaching a 9-9 deadlock.
Tsukagoshi stuck to her strengths and regained control of the pace, building enough momentum to take the first set, 15-12.
In the second set, Tsukagoshi retained control, holding her ground during back-and-forth exchanges as Toa faltered with unforced errors. Unable to find her rhythm, Toa ultimately bowed to Tsukagoshi, 15-9.
The 14-year-old NMI described the match as “very nice, and I am happy about my performance.”
She had previously played against Toa and lost. “Coach Janelle [Pangilinan] told me that I had to move forward on my serve, and I did, and I felt more consistent,” Tsukagoshi said.
In the mixed doubles match, the NMI’s Dave Odicta and Shaina Malonzo suffered a loss against the Cook Islands’ Makea Pauka and Te Pa O Te Rangi Tupa, 15-13, 15-17, 7-15 while the NMI’s Marlon Bautista lost to the Cook Islands’ Kaiyin Mataio, 15-5, 15-9.
Odicta, 17, said he and Malonzo played their hearts out on the court. “Although it was a loss, I feel like what mattered was we tried our best,” he added.
He now looks forward to playing against Fiji or Tahiti. “I’ve heard some of their players are really good and have experienced what it’s like playing against other countries,” he said.
After falling behind 1-2 in three matches against the Cook Islands, Team NMI bounced back in the men’s and women’s doubles.
The NMI’s Jude Mallari and Odicta outlasted the Cook Islands’ Edward Patai and Mataio, 16-14, 12-15, 15-11 while Tsukagoshi and Malonzo triumphed over Toa and Tupa, 15-9, 15-5.
