Tuesday, July 10, 2007 Nikki Servando plucks another badminton gold By Henry C. Villalva
BACOLOD badminton ace Nikki Therese Lim Servando plucked another badminton singles gold medal last weekend when she topped the 15-Under girls singles category of the 2007 Yonex Sunrise Western Visayas Regional Badminton Championship at the Iloilo Sports Complex gym in Iloilo City.
Competitions were held at the Citi Sports Iloilo, according to Nikki’s mother Josephine Lim Servando.
The thirteen-year old Grade six pupil of Trinity Christian School in Bacolod City who notched her second straight elementary girls badminton doubles Palarong Pambansa gold during the last Palaro held in Koronadal City, South Cotabato, defeated Camille Burgos, 21-11, 19-21, 21-10 en route to the gold in this regional invitational event.
“Nikki is once again trying to make use of as many off campus competitions as tuneups while looking forward to this year’s school-based events like the NOPSSCEA which will hopefully again lead her to campaigning in this year’s Palarong Pambansa,” Mrs. Servando told SunStar Bacolod in an interview Monday.
Meanwhile, the chase for world badminton rankings begins on July 18 when a total of 34 Filipino players, including 20 who will compete in singles, clash with the world’s top players in the 2nd Bingo Bonanza Philippine Open Badminton Championships at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City, Metro Manila.
Filipino badminton fans are looking forward to watch veteran internationalist Kennevic Asuncion pit skills against the likes of China’s World No. 2 Chen Hong, No. 3 Lei Chong Wei of Malaysia, No. 6 Bao Chunlai of China, No. 8 Kenneth Jonassen of Denmark as well as reigning Asian Games and Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia, the World No. 9.
