FDG Cup gathers leading, rising stars

MANILA, Philippines - The FDG Cup, long considered as the premier badminton doubles event in the country, celebrates its milestone 10th year in style next month with a stellar field, featuring the country’s leading players and rising stars, slugging it out for top honors at Powersmash in Makati and Robinsons Midtown-Manila.

Organizers of the annual event have stretched out the annual two-day event to a three-day affair set June 28-30 with the centerpiece men’s, women’s and mixed Open doubles for the elite players to go along with the Partners Cup featuring employees and business partners of the Robinsons Land Corp. composed of the company’s architects, designers, construction managers, contractors and suppliers.

Registration is ongoing. For details, contact 0932-8573431 c/o Glenn Encarnacion/Richard Bautista or email [email protected].

National team mainstays Ronel Estanislao and Paul Vivas go for a three-peat in the Open men’s doubles while Cheska Bermejo and Indonesian partner Marissa Vita seek defense of the Open women’s doubles crown in the annual event held in honor of RLC president Frederick Go, a long-time supporter of the sport and a badminton enthusiast.

Also on tap is the mixed doubles event, where Vita and Marco Bermejo are the defending champions.

To accommodate the expected big number of entries, the event is spread over three days with the elims up to the quarterfinal rounds to be played in the first two days at Powersmash Badminton Center in Makati.

The semis and the finals will be held June 30 along with the highlight Invitational Championship where world-ranked foreign players will team up with FDG and some of the country’s current and former top players in exhibition matches at Robinsons Midtown Manila.

At stake for the Open men’s doubles is P180,000 for the champions with the second and third placers to get P90,000 and P22,000, respectively while the ladies doubles winners will receive P140,000 with the next two finishers to get P70,000 and P17,500, respectively.

The mixed doubles champions will take home P160,000 with the second and third placers to receive P80,000 and P20,000, respectively.