The Philippines is set to host a world-class badminton tournament for the first time as the Philippine International Challenge 2026 gets underway with the qualifying rounds on Tuesday at Gameville Central Park in Mandaluyong City.

The International Challenge is a Grade 3, Level 1 tournament on the Badminton World Federation Continental Circuit, alongside the International Series and Future Series. The event awards ranking points that count toward the BWF World Rankings.

“The association sent bids to host these tournaments, a proposal to the BWF through Badminton Asia, to host an International Challenge and an International Junior Series this year,” said Philippine Badminton Association secretary-general Shawntel Nieto, as the country prepares to stage a BWF-sanctioned tournament for the first time.

“Gratefully, they accepted, and with the support of and with the go-signal from boss MVP, we were able to plan out and bring it to life. So, we’re very excited about that.”

The tournament will run until August 2, with an International Junior Series tournament set to follow the following week at the same Mandaluyong venue.

Leading the men’s singles field is Kazakhstan’s Dimitri Panarin, who returns to the Philippines after his main draw appearance in the 2022 Badminton Asia Championships. Joining him among the top five seeds are India’s Manraj Singh and Alap Mishra, Indonesia’s Christian Adinata, and Malaysia’s Jing Hong Kok.

(C) PBAD

On the women’s side, 21-year-old Thai standout Tidaporn Kleebyeesun headlines the draw as the top seed. She is followed by fellow Thais Yataweemin Ketklieng and Pornpicha Choeikeewong, Indonesian-born Azerbaijani Keisha Fatimah Azzahra, and Malaysia’s Siti Zulaikha.

Fresh off their campaigns in the recently concluded Philippine National Badminton Open, Clarence Villaflor and four-time national women’s singles champion Mika De Guzman, both ranked World No. 122, will lead the Philippine contingent as top-10 seeds in their respective draws. Reigning three-time national men’s singles champion Jelo Albo also banners the local challenge in men’s singles.

Also advancing directly to the main draw are Philippine National Badminton Open men’s doubles champions Julius Villabrille and Solomon Padiz Jr., women’s doubles runners-up Lea Inlayo and Jeya Pinlac, and the tandem of Hailene Diaz and Naeomi Gulpany in the women’s doubles Round of 32.

Smash Pilipinas begins its campaign in the qualifying rounds with Mark Velasco and JR Pandi. Velasco takes on Saudi Arabia’s Mehad Shaikh, while Pandi faces Australia’s Ken Richardson. A victory by either player will send them to the main draw alongside Villaflor and Albo.

In mixed doubles qualifying, newly crowned national champions Villabrille and Andrea Princess Hernandez will face Patricia Barredo and Filipino-born Australian Jan Mark Sotea for a main draw berth. Padiz Jr. and Mary Destiny Untalan will also look to qualify when they take on Vietnam’s Le Minh Son and Mai Thi Thanh Ngan.

Meanwhile, Lance Vargas and Carlo Remo will battle Laos’ Namboun Luangamath and Phonesack Sookthavy in the men’s doubles qualifying draw.

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A new chapter for Philippine badminton begins next month as MIA Sports Center and Malaysia’s renowned New Vision Badminton Academy officially join forces to launch the NVBA-MIA Badminton Academy, bringing an internationally recognized training system to the country beginning August 2026.

The partnership was formalized during a contract signing on Thursday, July 23, with MIA Sports Center president Melvin Nubla, NVBA coaching director Karen Au-Mun Yee, and NVBA director Dr. Sugita Kunalan in attendance.

The academy is set to officially launch on August 1, with training sessions beginning on August 3 at MIA Sports Center, located at 2316 MIAA Building B, Aurora Avenue, Tramo, Pasay.

Founded 18 years ago by former Malaysian national players Yogendran Khrishnan, Yeoh Kay Bin, and Manoj Kumar Ramasamy, NVBA has established itself as one of Malaysia’s premier badminton academies. It has produced national team-caliber players on its training ground for other countries such as Indonesia, India, Italy, the United States, Hong Kong, and Puerto Rico.

Both Khrishnan and Yeoh are currently part of the Malaysian national badminton team’s coaching staff.

Under the agreement, the Philippine academy will operate similarly to NVBA’s international branches in Dubai and the Maldives, with its programs directly supervised by the Malaysian headquarters.

Malaysian coaches will lead training sessions while also mentoring and developing Filipino coaches to ensure the academy maintains international standards.

For Nubla, who previously served as the Philippine Badminton Association’s head of development, the partnership represents a major step toward making world-class badminton instruction accessible to Filipino athletes.

“The partnership with NVBA allows MIA Sports Center to provide local access to international world-class badminton training, especially for grassroots and elite junior players,” Nubla said.

“With NVBA as a global brand, it will further elevate the positioning of MIA as an elite training center, not only in terms of facilities but also in terms of providing high-standard training services.”

(C) MIA Sports Center

He added that NVBA’s careful approach to international expansion made the collaboration even more meaningful.

Nubla pointed to NVBA’s consistent success in player development as the biggest factor behind the partnership.

“What makes them stand out is the tried and tested training program and their passion to develop and make the player win in international competitions. Their intention is for their partners to also succeed by developing local players and coaches,” he said.

“Partnering with NVBA also allows MIA to have access to the global network of NVBA from trainings, coaches, and other resources.“

Beyond developing players, the academy aims to elevate the standards of its coaches through continuous education and overseas exposure.

“It is a fact that the Philippines is way behind other Asian countries, and we need to have a long-term sustainable partnership outside to elevate the sport of badminton in the Philippines.”

Training at the NVBA-MIA Badminton Academy is open to local and international players starting August 3, with sessions running twice daily from Monday to Saturday.

Morning practices are scheduled from 5:30 AM to 8:30 AM, while afternoon sessions will be held from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM.

Nubla said Malaysian coaches will regularly be deployed to Manila to oversee the program, while Filipino coaches will also receive opportunities to train overseas.

“NVBA will be the one leading the program, including sending foreign coaches throughout the partnership. We will also be sending local coaches of NVBA-MIA to other countries for further training and exposure. Local coaches will also be evaluated from time to time to make sure standards are carried out consistently,” he said.

Looking ahead, Nubla hopes the academy will become a launching pad for young Filipino players aspiring to compete on the international stage.

“I want to establish NVBA-MIA Badminton Academy as an elite training academy for those who are really and seriously committed to competing abroad,” he said.

“The end goal of NVBA is to have international champions from each of its franchise partners.”

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The second day of the Kabaka’s Coronation Badminton Tournament served up more thrilling action at the CFK Badminton Academy in Kisaasi, with players across all age categories battling for honours as the competition gathered momentum.

The day’s proceedings were highlighted by a visit from Robert Sserwanga, the Buganda Kingdom Minister for Youth, Sports and Arts, who officially opened the tournament and commended the growing partnership between the Buganda Kingdom and Badminton Uganda.

Addressing players, officials and spectators, Sserwanga praised the impressive turnout for the second edition of the championship, noting that the tournament has become an important platform for promoting badminton across the country.

“Today we partner with Badminton Uganda to give an opportunity to all badminton players in Uganda to come and enjoy the beautiful game of badminton,” he said.

Although pleased with the participation, the minister encouraged even more clubs and teams to take part in future editions, emphasizing that the tournament caters for players of every generation.

“We have competitions from the Under-10s, Under-13s, Under-15s and Under-19s. We also have professional players, seniors aged between 35 and 50 years, and veterans from 50 to 70 years. I call upon all lovers of badminton not to miss the next edition,” Sserwanga said.

He added that the involvement of corporate partners continues to strengthen the event, making it one of the Kingdom’s flagship sporting celebrations during the three-day commemoration of the 33rd Coronation Anniversary of Kabaka Ronald MuwendaMutebi II.

“May the best team win. Sabasajja Kabaka Awangale,” he concluded.

The tournament, organised through a partnership between Buganda Kingdom and Badminton Uganda, has attracted competitors from across Uganda, with matches being played simultaneously in junior, senior and veteran categories.

Badminton Uganda president Annet Nakamya welcomed the minister’s visit, describing it as a significant boost for the sport and the federation.

“Today marks the second day of the badminton tournament commemorating the coronation of our King, Ronald MuwendaMutebi, who has been on the throne for the last 33 years,” Nakamya said.

“We are really grateful for the opportunity of him coming through despite his busy schedule. For us, it gives us the confidence that we are part of the Kingdom and that we have the Kingdom’s blessing, which reassures us that we are doing the right thing.”

Nakamya also hailed the growth of the competition, saying the increased participation in only its second edition demonstrates the rising popularity of badminton in Uganda.

“We had a big turnout for the second edition, and we are hopeful that we shall continue to be given this opportunity to organise the tournament. We also look forward to strengthening our partnership with the Buganda Kingdom in the years ahead.”

With competitive matches continuing throughout the day, players remained focused on booking places in the decisive stages of the tournament as the celebration of the Kabaka’s 33-year reign continued through sport, unity and community engagement.

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