TOP seed Rabie Oba-ob made a strong start to his 2026 MIA Badminton Challenge Cup campaign, beating Iammai Adiaton, 15-9, 15-2, in just 22 minutes on Monday at the MIA Sports Center in Pasay City.
The Philippine Air Force airman first class controlled the match from the outset to secure a place in the round of 32 of the Super 500 tournament.
Oba-ob, currently ranked No. 4 in the Philippines, admitted he needed some adjustment to the tournament’s first-to-15 scoring format but said his preparations included training for the shorter games.
“Okay naman performance ko, medyo nanibago lang sa up-to-15 pero pinaghandaan rin naman namin ‘yun. Pero mabilis talaga siyang laruin. Hindi puwede pa-bandying-bandying, kailangang aggressive talaga,” Oba-ob said.
Despite his limited training time, the veteran managed to maintain his form while also handling coaching responsibilities for younger players.
“Hindi rin ako masyadong nakapaghanda, kasi nagtuturo rin ako sa mga bata. Pero, I make sure na makapag-train ako kahit one or two days per week,” he added.
Oba-ob will next face Christian Paderon at 1 p.m. Tuesday after Paderon swept Joey Li, 15-3, 15-0.
University of the Philippines product Joseph Lopez also advanced to the round of 32 after dispatching James Carpina, 15-6, 15-3.
Incoming University of Santo Tomas sophomore Aaron Bedaña likewise moved on after defeating Shane Polayapoy, 15-5, 15-6. (Adrian Co)
