PHILIPPINES—Seventeen teens from the Angeles and Quezon City congregations participated in their first badminton doubles tournament on July 24 at the Smash Power Elite Badminton Courts in San Fernando, Pampanga.

Before the event, activity coordinator Reniel Padua gave a teen Bible study on using quality words to build the Family of God, just as the temple in King Solomon’s time was built with quality materials.

After the study, the games began. Five activity volunteers assisted as referees and scorers. The tournament involved two rounds of five matches each. The sound of swishing rackets, buzzing shuttlecocks and cheering teens echoed through the indoor courts.

“It was overwhelming to witness the energy and enthusiasm of the teens again, still fired up after the pyc,” volunteer Roxanne Collamat said. “I will always love serving God’s youth.”

In the first round, Zachary Aquino and Anjulie Cruz won first place among the teens. Local Church Elders Benedict Marquez and Broderick Tongco joined the tournament during the second round.

“With just a couple of rounds, I think all of us developed teamwork, learned a lot and sharpened our skills by going back to the basics,” Quezon City teen Jerome Cruz said.

After five intense matches, Jasper Iglesias and Samantha Aquino won the second round of games. After facing off with the winners of the first round, Iglesias and Aquino claimed the overall win. The tournament ended with an all-star game.