Alcala bags Singapore youth badminton crown

MANILA, Philippines - Mark Alcala bested the region’s top and rising junior stars with a superb display of badminton skills and class as he ruled the OUE Singapore Youth International 2014 at the OCBC Arena hall 2 in Singapore recently.

Alcala, 15, fought back from a second set defeat to frustrate third seed Gunawan Farid Pramadita, 21-17, 18-21, 21-16, in a thrilling finals showdown to snare the singles Under-17 crown in the week-long event that drew the leading players in the region.

The victory also primed up Alcala, along with the other members of PBA (Philippine Badminton Association)-Smash Pilipinas, for the Axiata Cup 2014 slated Nov. 27-Dec. 3 in Jakarta.

The ace Filipino shuttler, who also bagged the U-11 crown in 2009 and the U-13 title in 2011, earlier bundled out top seed Ng Zin Rei Ryan, outsteadying the host’s country’s top player in the first set before holding sway to complete a tough 24-22, 21-18 win in the Last 16 phase. Alcala, who overpowered Indonesia’s Nugroho Bagas Kristianto, 21-12, 21-13, in the first round and survived Malaysia’s Mohd Nadzri Syafiq Iqbal, 21-14, 18-21, 21-12 in the Round of 32, whipped Japan’s Kaneko Mahiro, 21-15, 21-9 in the quarterfinals.

Alcala, handled by father-coach Malvin at the Allied Badminton Club at Marikina Sports Hub, eased out Indonesia’s Islam Saehul, 21-17, 21-15, in the Final Four.