NMI U17 wins bronze in New Zealand

THE NMI U17 National Badminton Team secured a bronze medal at the Pacific U17 Invitation Team Challenge 2026 in Auckland, New Zealand on Saturday.

From Feb. 12 to 14, the young squad from Saipan proved it is a force to be reckoned with in the Oceania region, overcoming stiff competition and narrow margins to land on the podium.

The NMI team’s road to bronze was a rollercoaster of high-intensity matches.

On Thursday, NMI earned its first victory in dominant fashion, nearly sweeping Guam, 4–1. Evan Seguritan and Lina Tsukagoshi opened with wins in the men’s and women’s singles, defeating Derrick Yan (21-9, 21-8) and Khloe Catacutan (21-8, 21-7), respectively. The women’s doubles pair of Eunho Park and Kate Xu followed with a 21-7, 21-16 victory over Yuxi Chen and Yunuo Zhong, while Seguritan and Tsukagoshi edged Phillip Noret and Catacutan in mixed doubles, 21-11, 21-13.

On Friday, NMI faced early adversity but prevailed in a tight 3–2 win over Tahiti. Seguritan captured the men’s singles in a three-set battle against Hivatoa Videal, 14-21, 21-17, 21-17. Tsukagoshi added a straight-sets victory over Tauhei Haoatai, 21-10, 21-5, and later teamed with Seguritan to defeat Mike Caquin and Zoe Marin in mixed doubles, 21-3, 21-6.

The momentum stalled against the Cook Islands, as NMI fell 3–2. Tsukagoshi was the lone singles winner, defeating Trudeinus Tuaputa, 21-16, 21-7, and she and Seguritan claimed another mixed doubles victory over Makea Pauka and Arihoia Sprague-Marsters in a thrilling three-set match, 21-19, 18-21, 25-23.

The turning point came on the final day of competition. Facing Wallis and Futuna, the NMI squad delivered a commanding 4–1 victory to secure third place.

The bronze medal represents more than hardware; it reflects the growth of the Northern Marianas Badminton Association’s development programs. The experience gained in Auckland will be vital as many of the players are expected to represent the Northern Marianas in upcoming home events, including the Northern Marianas Open and the Saipan International later this July.

Article by James Sablan, Marianas Variety – February 16, 2026