It was a thrilling conclusion to a successful tournament.
The 2023 Philippine Badminton Open ended with a bang over the weekend, with Smash Pilipinas upstarts Mark Velasco and Mika De Guzman winning the men's and women's singles titles, respectively. Other winners were national team standouts Solomon Padiz Jr. and Julius Villabrille, who bagged the men’s doubles title, and the pair of Nicole Albo and Lea Inlayo, who took home the women’s double’s plum. Villabrille and Albo won the mixed doubles championship.
Velasco, who had previously sent top-seed Ros Pedrosa packing, went the distance against fellow National University shuttler Lanz Zafra, 17-21, 21-12, 21-17, while De Guzman continued her dominant run, outclassing Christel Rei Fuentespina, 21-10, 21-7.
Padiz and Villabrille were the tournament’s Cinderella story, coming from behind to beat heavily favored Alvin Morada and Christian Bernardo, 17-21, 21-17, 23-21, to win the men's doubles title at the Dragonsmash Badminton Center in Makati.
"Sobrang saya dahil hindi namin ine-expect 'tong pagkapanalo namin. Basta ang mindset namin ng partner ko is 'Laban lang.' Wala namang mawawala sa 'min. Bigay lang namin at magpakita kami kay boss, family, at sa fans na nag-aabang sa 'min," said Villabrille of the stunner he and Padiz pulled off.
Villabrille was actually one of the tournament’s biggest winners, having earlier won the mixed doubles title with Albo. Villabrille and Albo took down Padiz and Inlayo also via comeback, 13-21, 24-22, 21-18, in 70 grueling minutes. Albo and Inlayo, on the other hand, also went the distance against Thea Pomar and Alyssa Leonardo, 13-21, 24-22, 21-13, to pocket the women's doubles plum.
Velasco and De Guzman each received P70,000, a trophy, and gold medals, while the champions in doubles play got P150,000 each pair, a trophy, and gold medals.
The successful return of the Philippine Badminton Open this year by Manny Pangilinan, the godfather of Philippine badminton, and its sponsors—Yamaha, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, SMART, MWell, Maynila, Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation, and Meralco.