Felipe Padro II stared with bated breath as his shot soared above his opponent. For a moment, Padro thought that his attack – at championship point – would go long. But, as the shuttlecock landed a couple of inches inside the baseline, he let out a roar and jumped on the court as he was embraced by his friends in celebration.
Padro bared that he was passionate about badminton and it showed as he and partner Queian Cajegas prevailed over Raprap Bagas and Ephraim Guarino, 22-20, 21-17, in the men’s doubles level E or beginner’s division in the inaugural Padul-ong Fun Borongan Badminton Cup at the Capitol Gym in Borongan City yesterday.
“Akala ko po out kasi ang taas ng bola. Buti po by God’s grace, inside siya. Nasa isip ko last score na ‘to. I need to score this kasi last na lang, champion na. ‘Yung pinaghirapan namin kahapon (Sunday), ang daming matches naming pinagdaanan tapos yung last point na ‘yun ‘yung pinakaaasam-asam ko kaya noong nai-score ko ‘yung isang ‘yun, ‘Yes! Sa wakas!’” said Padro, who just joined his second tournament in badminton.
The sport serves as his respite amid the pressure he faces as a third year nursing student in Eastern Samar State University. “Stress reliever ko ang badminton lalo na when it comes to my academics, pressured sa school lalo na at nursing ang course ko. Itong passion ko sa paglalaro ng badminton, nagiging stress reliever ko. Nakakapagtanggal ako dito ng unnecessary thoughts,” said Padro.
Twenty-year-old Padro, who started playing the sport in high school, expressed his gratitude that badminton is slowly getting the spotlight which was previously focused only on basketball and volleyball. “I’m very thankful na as days go by, naa-acknowledge na ang badminton. Kasi to be honest, parang hindi nabibigyan ng notice ang badminton kasi more on basketball tayo, volleyball. But we have a lot of potential players here in Borongan and Eastern Samar. Kasi Eastern Samar ang mga players dito (in the tournament) kaya I’m very thankful po na nagkaroon tayo ng ganitong event, nabibigyan ng focus lahat ng players dito sa badminton,” said Padro.
“I’m very happy kasi passion ko ang badminton at nabibigyan ng attention ng ating mga big people kaya happy ako na sa wakas nagkakaroon na ng [spotlight] ang badminton,” he added.
Cajegas echoed the same sentiment with his first-time partner. He used to play against Padro and the latter’s Tabunan Badminton Club team prior to pairing in the tournament. “Pirmi nala daman basketball it [ginaganap] dinhi. Natagan hit chance it badminton kaya happy,” said Cajegas.
The 15-year-old Cajegas shared that he is planning to try out for the badminton team of the Eastern Samar National Comprehensive High School where he is currently studying.His championship experience in the event will give him a boost of confidence in realizing this goal.
“Mai-improve it ak mga skills [through the tourney] and makakatulong hit ak confidence para makapag-uyas pa hit next level. Makakatulong kasi nag-champion, madami nang team na [makakakita] sa amin,” said Cajegas.
Brian Voces, a seventeen-year-old member of Tabunan Badminton Club, was a happy spectator as he witnessed his friend Padro win in his division. “Sobrang saya ko po kasi may nag-champion sa amin. Sobrang kinakabahan ako kahit nanonood lang ako,” said Voces, part of the sparse audience who endured the thrill of the championship point in Padro and Cajegas’ finals match. Voces hopes for a continuous program for badminton in the city. “Para palagi kong nalalaro ang paborito kong sport,” said Voces, also a participant in the tourney.
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