The Business & Management (B&M) Vipers clinched the championship against the other six clusters in the Women’s Badminton Singles Category, while the Accountancy (ACC) Griffins won in the Women’s Badminton Doubles Category in the recent Palarong Atenista Women’s Badminton 2023.

For the singles category, undefeated Christine May Pamongcales dominated the entire game in the singles category, bagging gold for B&M Vipers after winning the championship against Humanities and Letters x Natural Sciences and Mathematics x School of Education Pegasus’ Pia Gwyneth Pasok, 2-0. 

Both coming from a winning streak, Pamongcales and Pasok advanced to the finals. A battle of the undefeated began with Pamongcales aggressively rallying against Pasok, which Pasok failed to counter, 21-14.

Not letting the Pegasus take over, the Viper had taken the lead and ended the second match with a powerful smash, winning the second set, 21-14.

“It was very good to win the game, to feel the spark of winning again na gihagoan jud nimo,” Pamongcales said. 

She stated that the game felt foreign to her because it was her first time playing badminton after being unable to participate in any competition during the quarantine. When asked about her preparations for this year’s tournament, Pamongcales told Atenews that she improved her cardio by jogging and simple training.

Meanwhile, Social Sciences (SS) Dragons’ Shane Sarmiento and School of Nursing (SON) Panthers’ Angelika Mijares clashed for third place, with the SON Panthers securing the win. 

For the doubles category, ACC Griffins Kate Molina and Aiella Calica triumphed over BM Vipers’ Shinshei Ballescas and Kianarich Dela Cerna, giving the Griffins their second consecutive championship win after winning last year’s Palarong Atenista Women’s Badminton Doubles Category.

Both sides closely exchanged points, producing multiple deadlocks in the game. Despite it being a close-knit match for both clusters, with none of them giving in, ACC Griffins took home the championship title against BM Vipers, 2-1.

“Dili dapat magkompyansa kay duol-duol lang jud ang among scoring sa ilaha and medyo kulba pero in the end, kay nadaog gihapon,” Molina said.

Molina and Calica’s front-and-back strategy propelled them to first place and a winning streak that lasted all the way from the elimination round to the finals. 

“Front and back kay hawod man kaayo siya sa front and ako is okay saakoa mag-attack and siya pud mag-prepare sa front para mag-receive sa defense nila so bali sa offensive mi na side para dili mi sigeg defense kay if ever kami ang sigeg defense kay alanganin kay wala pa kaayo miy practice,” Calica said.

SS Dragons’ Marla Jadulang and Danielle Jimeno finished third place.

The athletic event was held at Smashville Fitness Center on October 1, 2023.