Cignal TV and the Philippine Badminton Association are hoping to find the Filipino badminton athlete that will put the country back on the Olympic map.
Cignal TV and the Philippine Badminton Association (PBAD) on Tuesday, May 7, officially signed a partnership to push racket sports to new heights.
In a press conference, Carla Lizardo-Sulit, Secretary-General of PBAD, bared some of the association's plans to further elevate the sport in the country in the hopes of having a Filipino badminton player back in the Olympics.
"We have actually been working on a long-term plan because we want to accomplish two important things. One is to make badminton one of the most popular sports in the country, just like how it is in the rest of Southeast Asia," Lizardo-Sulit said.
"Another thing is that we also have plans in store to develop our next Filipino Olympian. So far, we've only had one badminton Olympian in the past, coach Weena Lim, and we are hoping to see another Olympian by 2028," she added.
The Philippines recently saw success in badminton during the 2023 Southeast Asian Games after the women’s national badminton team secured a bronze medal finish.
This marked the first time that the Philippines snatched a medal in the sport since the 2015 SEA Games, when Ronel Estanislao and Joper Escueta captured the men’s double bronze.
"We really believe that the Filipinos can be one of the strong players, one of the powerhouses, especially in Asia when it comes to badminton," said Melvin Nubla, Head of Development of PBAD.
"We want to have a Filipino player in the 2028 and 2032 Olympics," he added.
MediaQuest & Cignal TV President and CEO Jane Basas likewise expressed her excitement in helping further promote badminton in the country.
"We at Cignal will support not only the main tournaments that have been announced, but also the grassroots programs to create greater awareness for badminton across the Philippines," said Basas.
"We want to able to use the assets that we have, the platforms that we have to create awareness, to create love and affinity for this sport that I truly believe we can excel in," she emphasized.
The partnership announcement also highlighted the upcoming 2024 Philippine Badminton Open, which is scheduled from June 5 to 11, 2024. The prize pool is set at P1.2 million.