JORDAN Pangilinan and Jomarie Azura successfully defended their men’s doubles title in the open division of the NMI Badminton National Championships 2024 by outlasting Lance Gallardo and Dave Odicta in two sets at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium on Saturday
Pangilinan and Azura were a force to be reckoned with as their individual skills complemented their performance as a pair.
The first set opened with several lead exchanges but it did not take long before the defending champions took control of the pace.
Azura highlighted the pair’s run with defense as his reaction time was unmatched, keeping the possession alive with quick returns and forcing their opponents to commit unforced errors. Azura scored five straight points for an 8-3 lead, which was further stretched to 18-12, thanks to Pangilinan.
Gallardo and Odicta were not going down with a fight, however. Odicta scored five consecutive points to close the distance, but he and his teammate’s efforts were in vain as they lacked the precision needed to stay afloat. They also committed two crucial errors during their attempted returns, which handed Pangilinan and Azura the two points needed to secure the first set, 21-18.
Riding the momentum into the second half, Pangilinan and Azura became an unstoppable force. Gallardo and Odicta struggled defensively, allowing Pangilinan to score seven points, followed by Azura’s four unanswered points, leading to a blowout 21-12 victory to secure the men’s doubles open title.
“It was pretty intense,” Pangilinan said. “We needed to look for our opponents’ errors and get our points back.”
Although Pangilinan and Azura successfully defended their title, they said they had a tougher time going up against the younger players this time around.
“I’m just glad to still be able to play at this level,” Pangilinan said. “It feels great at this age, being able to play with the youth and play at their pace.”
The duo’s strategy was to apply constant pressure on their opponents with drops to gain the offensive edge and finish with smashes.
Other matches
Gallardo did not end the day empty-handed as he paired with Trizian Canoza to claim the mixed doubles open title against Odicta and Shaina Malonzo in two sets.
Gallardo and Canoza established dominance in the opening set as they continuously applied pressure which forced their opponents to answer with lob returns. Gallardo and Canoza then finished with powerful smashes to secure their first win, 21-10.
In the second set, Odicta and Malonzo decided to go on the offensive, which seemed to work in their favor as they maintained the lead throughout most of the exchanges, 19-15.
However, the duo suddenly lost their touch, which allowed Canoza to score five consecutive points and grasp the upper hand, 20-19.
Malonzo and Odicta were able to answer with a hard-fought return to tie the game, 20-20, but Canoza’s dagger smash sealed the second-set victory, 21-20, to win the mixed doubles open title.
Sharing the spotlight in the open division were Lina Tsukagoshi and Malonza, who claimed the women’s doubles open title over Janelle Pangilinan and Choi, 16-21, 21-15, 21-20; Sean Dizon, who won the men’s singles open title against Kyle Salcedo, 21-16, 21-14; and Arisa Custodio, who defeated Ulrica Wang, 21-11, 21-17, to bring home the women’s singles open title.
The winners of the U17 and 45 Over divisions will be featured in the next edition of Variety.
The top three event winners in the open division pose for a group photo during the awards ceremony of the NMI Badminton National Championships 2024 at the Ada gym on Saturday.
Jordan Pangilinan extends for the return as teammate Jomarie Azura looks on during the men’s doubles championship match in the open division of the NMI Badminton National Championships 2024 at the Ada gym on Saturday.
Lance Gallardo reaches out for the backhand return alongside teammate Trizian Canoza during the mixed doubles championship match in the open division of the NMI Badminton National Championships 2024 at the Ada gym on Saturday.
