From left, Shaina Angelo Malonzo, Ruth Charmaine Bautista, Lina Tsukagoshi, Evan Seguritan, Justin Gragasin, and Jude Mallari show the letter from the Northern Marianas Badminton Association confirming their selection to the NMI Junior National Badminton Team.
The Northern Marianas Badminton Association has selected six students to form the NMI Junior National Badminton Team that will participate in the Pacific U15 Junior Team Challenge scheduled to take place at Badminton North Harbour in New Zealand, in February 2023.
Named on the national team are Ruth Charmaine Bautista, Shaina Angelo Malonzo, and Jude Mallari from Francisco M. Sablan Middle School, Hopwood Middle School’s Justin Gragasin, Tanapag Middle School’s Evan Seguritan, and Saipan International School’s Lina Tsukagoshi. All six are part of a training pool and attended a series of tryouts that Northern Marianas Pacific Mini Games 2022 bronze medalist Janelle Pangilinan and fellow Mini Games participants Nate Guerrero and Leonard Manuel conducted starting late September. NMBA president Merlie Tolentino announced the names of the team members last Friday with the players’ parents also present at the brief ceremony.
“Congratulations on your selection to the NMI Junior National Badminton Team. Your hard work does not stop here, you have to continue showing commitment to the team and the program by consistently attending your training sessions. Your coaches will be there to guide you every step of the way and help you get better and prepare for the competition next year,” Tolentino said.
The NMBA president also acknowledged the young players’ parents for their support and for allowing their children to get involved in the program. She added that this tournament is just the start of more opportunities that the NMBA will try to provide to NMI players, especially the young ones.
The six members of the NMI Junior National Badminton Team are training three times a week. They are also competing for their respective schools in the TakeCare PSS Interscholastic Badminton League as part of their preparations for next year’s regional event. The Pacific U15 Junior Team Competition is sanctioned by Badminton Oceania and will be held at the Badminton North Harbour in Auckland from February 8 to 15, 2023.
Seguritan, the youngest member of the squad at 11 years old, just joined the program this season. He is motivated to keep improving his game upon his selection on the team and looks forward to experiencing what it’s like to compete outside the NMI. Bautista has been with the program since the NMBA started working with junior players a couple of years ago and is pleased that her hard work the past seasons are paying off with her inclusion on the national squad.
The NMBA, for its part, would like to thank Badminton Oceania for extending an invitation to the NMI to compete in the Pacific U15 Junior Team Competition, which will feature the powerhouse teams of host New Zealand and Australia and Pacific Games top competitors Tahiti and New Caledonia.
Text first published by Marianas Variety
