Gold Gears make waves in 1st Dinagyang Badminton Tourney, clinch silver in women’s doubles
By Dave Samson
In an exhilarating display of skill and determination, the dynamic duo of Joyce Ann Bernal and Rein Jazerine Guese spearheaded the Bulacan State University (BulSU) Badminton Team to an impressive runner-up finish in the 1st Dinagyang Badminton Tournament last January 24 to 28 at the Tigers Badminton Center in Iloilo.
The formidable pairing of Gold Gears’ Bernal and Guese engaged in a battle of intense rallies in the Women’s Level C finals but ultimately succumbed to their opponents after two hard-fought sets, with scores of 17–21, 11–21, concluding their stint with a well-deserved silver medal finish.
Starting the game with powerful smashes one after the other, the first set saw both pairs battling fiercely for control but the tandem of Bernal-Guese failed to maintain their momentum, with the score tilting in favor of their opponents, 17–21.
Undeterred, Bernal and Guese regrouped to try and mount a comeback but a string of errors in the defensive end pummeled the duo resulting in an 11–21 second set finish.
Jayson Delposo, an official of the team, shed light on the challenges and the lessons learned by the BulSU Badminton Team during the week-long competition. According to him, the pressure of the team’s inaugural tournament was compounded by the well-experienced opponents, including former national team members and current UAAP players.
Delposo also noted the adjustment required for the varying playing styles from Visayas and Manila, compared to the team’s usual competitions in Bulacan.
“Syempre po ‘di mawawala ‘yung pressure dahil first tournament ito ng team and at the same time well-experienced na rin ‘yung mga nakalaban namin considering na ‘yung iba ay former national team, and current UAAP players. Medyo nahirapan din kami mag-adjust dahil iba ‘yung playing style ng players from Visayas and Manila compare sa nakakalaban namin sa Bulacan,” shared Delposo.
The team understood the importance of intensifying their preparations to ensure they could not only hold their ground but also make a significant impact on the tournament, Delposo told Pacesetter in an interview.
“Through double time sa aming effort and training, since open tournament ‘yung sinalihan namin, expected na [rin] na malakas ang kalaban, we worked hard para hindi man kami [palarin] manalo, ay makasabay kami sa kalaban,” he said.
Aside from the silver medalists of the team, other shuttlers also bannered the university’s name in the said tourney.
The duo of Guese with Christine Dorega, and Myka Jane Crisostomo with Dyra Mae Victoria competed for the Women’s Level B, while the pair of Myka Jane Crisostomo with Dyra Mae Victoria played in Women’s Level C.
On the other hand, the duo of Rovie Crisostomo with Carlson Emil Garcia, and Raymond Navarro with Curt Verrano represented the university for the Men’s level C, while John Javier Manalansan and Jhustine Dionisio for the Men’s level B. For the mixed doubles category, John Javier Manalansan and Christine Dorega bannered the Gold Gears’ flag.
Dave Samson is a junior staff writer of Pacesetter for A.Y. 2023–2024. He is a third-year Legal Management student from the College of Criminal Justice Education
