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  • Jelo Albo survives Malaysia test as Filipino shuttlers make strong start at Philippine International Challenge 

    Jelo Albo survives Malaysia test as Filipino shuttlers make strong start at Philippine International Challenge 

    Jelo Albo showed why he remains one of the Philippines’ top badminton players, overcoming a determined challenge from Malaysia’s Samuel Lee to lead the country’s charge in the inaugural Philippine International Challenge presented by the Philippine Sports Commission.


    The reigning three-time national men’s singles champion booked his spot in the Round of 32 after grinding out a 21-18, 21-18 victory in the Round of 64 on Tuesday, July 28, at Gameville Central Park in Mandaluyong City.

     

    The incoming fifth-year University of the Philippines standout wasted no time imposing his attacking style, using his trademark smashes to take control of the opening game. Despite Lee’s late push, Albo stayed composed to secure the first-set advantage.

     

    The Malaysian challenger made things more difficult in the second game, building an 11-9 lead at the interval and forcing Albo into longer rallies. But the Filipino adjusted by using his reach and court coverage to dictate the exchanges, eventually closing out the match in 49 minutes.

     

    “Sa totoo lang, happy pa rin ako kasi kahit papaano, naitawid ‘yung panalo. Masaya pa rin naman sa performance kahit mahirap siyang laruin,” said Albo.

     

    With momentum on his side, Albo will next face the winner between ninth-seeded India’s Siddhanth Gupta and the United States’ Rylan Tan as he continues his pursuit of a Round of 16 berth.

     

    While Albo advanced, the men’s singles bracket already produced major surprises, with two highly seeded players falling earlier than expected.

     

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    Indonesia’s Muhamad Rizky Akbar delivered the biggest upset of the day, eliminating top seed and world No. 105 Dmitriy Panarin of Kazakhstan in dominant fashion. Akbar needed only 31 minutes to complete the victory, 21-15, 21-6.

     

    Third-seeded Indonesian Christian Adinata also suffered an early exit after Malaysia’s Wei Xiang Kong pulled off another upset, winning 21-17, 21-10.

     

    The Philippines also gained progress in the women’s singles competition as 17-year-old Christel Rei Fuentespina battled back from a first-game setback to defeat Malaysia’s Carine Tee, 19-21, 21-15, 21-7.

     

    Fuentespina joins four-time national champion Mika De Guzman in the Round of 32. The young Filipino will face top seed Tidaporn Kleebyeesun of Thailand, while De Guzman is set for another matchup against Thai opponent Sarunrak Vitidsran.

     

    The country also advanced in mixed doubles, with Christian Bernardo and Lea Inlayo securing a Round of 32 spot after defeating Malaysia’s Isyraf Hafizin and Lee Jonne, 21-12, 22-20. Julius Villabrille and Andrea Princess Hernandez also moved forward after sweeping Jan Mark Sotea and Patricia Barredo, 21-16, 21-9.

     

    Backed by the MVP Sports Foundation, Smart, PLDT, Yonex, Sunrise, Maynilad, Cignal, MWell, Jollibee, Milksha, and Telescoop, the Philippine International Challenge is providing a major platform for Filipino players to test themselves against international competition.

     

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  • Mika De Guzman, Jelo Albo reign again as Philippine National Badminton Open crowns repeat champions 

    Mika De Guzman, Jelo Albo reign again as Philippine National Badminton Open crowns repeat champions 

    The biggest names in Philippine badminton once again proved why they remain the standard to beat.


    Mika De Guzman and Jelo Albo successfully defended their respective women’s and men’s singles championships to headline another memorable edition of the Philippine National Badminton Open 2026, which concluded Sunday at Gameville Central Park in Mandaluyong City.

     

    While a new generation of challengers attempted to end their reigns, both national team standouts showed championship poise when it mattered most, extending their dominance in the country’s premier badminton tournament.

     

    De Guzman delivered perhaps the most commanding campaign of the week.

     

    The four-time UAAP MVP never dropped a single game throughout the tournament before capping her title defense with a clinical 21-6, 21-7 victory over former Ateneo teammate and UAAP Season 86 co-MVP Jochelle Alvarez in a final that lasted just 30 minutes.

     

    The triumph secured De Guzman’s fourth consecutive Philippine National Badminton Open women’s singles crown, further cementing her status as the country’s top female shuttler.

     

    “This is so big for me. I think every year andami kong iba’t ibang nakakalaban; a lot of rising stars willing to get the championship, but I’m happy that I’m always there on top being the champion,” said De Guzman.

     

    “As I said, it was different players every year po that are eyeing the championship, but I’m very happy that my coaches from PBad — coach Joper (Escueta), coach Kenneth (Monterubio), coach Ariel (Magnaye), and coach Kennie (Asuncion-Robles) — really helped us to give our best in every tournament that we play, and help us be physically and mentally ready,” added the four-time UAAP MVP.

     

    Albo’s road to another championship proved far more challenging.

     

    Facing fellow Smash Pilipinas standout Clarence Villaflor, the University of the Philippines product dropped the opening set before mounting a determined comeback, winning 18-21, 21-12, 21-14 to complete his third straight men’s singles title.

     

    After Villaflor dictated the pace early, Albo responded with the aggressive style that has become his trademark, taking control of the final two games to finish the match in one hour and 18 minutes.

     

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    :

    “Sobrang sarap sa pakiramdam kasi ‘yung sacrifices namin sa training and everything ay nagbunga lahat. Hindi biro ‘yung pinagdaanan naming sacrifices, hanggang sa ayun nga, andito na kami. All national team nag-semifinals, kami nagharap-harap. It’s really a blessing,” said the 2026 Czech International Future Series silver medalist.

     

    For their championship runs, De Guzman and Albo each received a gold medal, championship trophy, an MWell watch, and P100,000 in prize money.

     

    Alvarez and Villaflor settled for silver medals, watches, and P50,000, while the semifinalists took home bronze medals, watches, and P15,000.

     

    The doubles competitions also produced standout performances, with Andrea Hernandez and Julius Villabrille emerging as the tournament’s biggest winners after capturing two titles apiece.

     

    Hernandez and Villabrille first joined forces to claim the mixed doubles championship, defeating Lea Inlayo and Christian Bernardo, 21-15, 21-14. The victory marked Villabrille’s third consecutive mixed doubles crown after winning the previous two editions alongside Nicole Albo.

     

    Hernandez later secured a second championship by partnering with Mary Destiny Untal in the women’s doubles final, where they edged Inlayo and Jeya Pinlac in straight sets, 21-19, 21-19.

     

    Villabrille completed his own double-title haul after teaming up with Solomon Padiz Jr. to successfully defend the men’s doubles championship for a third consecutive year. The pair recovered from an opening-set defeat to overcome fellow national team members Christian Bernardo and Alvin Morada, 14-21, 21-14, 21-17.

     

    The doubles champions each received gold medals, championship trophies, MWell watches, and P120,000, while the runners-up earned P60,000 and the bronze medalists collected P30,000.

     

    With familiar champions once again standing atop the podium, the tournament not only celebrated sustained excellence but also showcased the depth of Philippine badminton, as established stars and rising contenders continued to raise the level of competition on the national stage.

     

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