While the month of September is steadfastly approaching, the people behind the much awaited “First Western Union KSA Kingdom-wide Invitational Badminton Tournament” are all glued on the nitty-gritty of their forthcoming badminton competition scheduled to take place in the heart of Riyadh. According to its organizers, this impeding event is a conglomeration of Filipino and foreign badminton participants, in a might-to-might and strength-to-strength meet, which they considered ‘First Among the Firsts in 2010’.  

With the line up of sponsorship assistance coming from the Western Union represented by Mr. Rodel del Mundo, Pinoy Badminton Club (PBC) headed by its highly-spirited Founders Mr. Nemen Cabatuando and Dra. Doeleth Gatdula-Cabatuando and Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Humanitarian City Badminton Club (SBAHC – Badminton) represented by its Chief Facilitating Officer Mr. Jomar M. Tayo are fixing all the knots needed to spearhead the event with bangs and success.  According to the Cabatuandos, the tournament will be conducted on 7^th  and 8^th of September at Al Taj International School (for Riyadh Players) and on 10^th, 11^th and 12^th of September at SBAHC for Central, Western, Eastern and Northern Regional Players; all with a registration fee of 35 Saudi Riyals per entry.  Competition includes the Men’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, Mixed Doubles and Ladies’ Doubles. 
 
In unison, the organizers highlighted that the objectives of this event among others include:  uniting all the existing badminton players in Saudi Arabia; encouraging all members of the OFW communities in the Kingdom to participate in sports like badminton; developing the physical and mental well-being of the participants; promoting the spirits of sportsmanship and camaraderie among Filipinos, let alone, promoting Western Union and Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Humanitarian City (SBAHC) and their services to outside participants.   They also expressed that, having around 600 participants coming from all directions of the Kingdom seems like solving a mathematical equation, but of course, with the use of the most passionate tool they called, “Filipino connection”. 
 
In brief, the Cabatuandos have been in the inner-core of organizing badminton tournaments way back in 2006 — piloted the First Filipino Badminton Federation Riyadh Invitation in 2008 and just recently, the General Shararis Cup.  On the other hand, Tayo, a professional event organizer and a bonafide employee of SBAHC is very much on the go promoting their institution and in full gear assisting his kababayang Pinoy (compatriots) spearhead their events, while Western Union represented by Del Mundo and Nomer Cuartero is always at the forefront to give assistance to any Filipino organizations in promoting unity and friendship among kababayang Pinoy and members of international communities.   
 
So far, the group is still looking for all the square possibilities to promote badminton all throughout the Middle East, and likewise, hope that soon enough, more avenues will be opened for their players to compete in international badminton competitions — the game they know best!  (J. Nava Cruz, an OFW is a freelance writer/author/documentarist.   E-mail at bashamel007@yahoo.com) 
 

(Dra. Doeleth Gatdula-Cabatuando, Nemen Cabatuando and Nomer Cuartero – Photo by JNC)
 

(Badminton Participants doing their workouts at Elite International School – Photo by JNC)
 

(Family of Filipino Badminton Players with Foreign Participants – File Photo) 
 
 

(Filipino Badminton Participants – File Photo)
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Munting Nayon News Magazine