Arcilla heads Iloilo Open cast

MANILA, Philippines – Multi-champion Johnny Arcilla braces for a spirited battle for top honors against the country’s leading and rising players as he headlines the star-studded field in the first Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Iloilo City Open Tennis Championship unfolding tomorrow in La Paz.

Arcilla pulled off a grand slam of sorts in last year’s staging of the PPS-PEPP Open, winning the singles and doubles crowns in the Tuna Festival in Gen. Santos City, the Pintaflores Festival in San Carlos City, Negros and the Dagitab Festival in Naga City.

But the veteran campaigner, also a many-time PCA Open champion, faces a formidable challenge in the upcoming tournament at the Iloilo City Tennis Center with the top 16 players in the Philta ranking seeing action, guaranteeing an action-packed battle for the coveted singles crown in the week-long tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and backed by Slazenger.

They include Arcilla’s fellow Davis Cup veteran PJ Tierro, Alberto Vicente Anasta, Fritz Verdad, Roel Capangpangan, Leander Lazaro, Jimmy Tangalin, Deo Talatayod, Noel Damian, Kristian Tesorio, Kim Saraza, Joseph Arcilla, Kype Parpan, LA Canizares, John Altiche, Arcie Mano, Arn Procianos and Janjie Soquino.

“We take pride in putting up this top-level field and we thank Iloilo City for taking the initiative to host this big event which we hope will also help promote and develop the sport in the region,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.

The event is actually in line with Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog’s mandate to host national and international sports competitions as part of the city’s sports tourism program with Vice Mayor Joe Espinosa III, also the chairman of the Iloilo City Sports Council, guaranteeing a successful staging of the event, this being the first time that the city is hosting a tournament of this magnitude in almost three decades.

The event, presented by Palawan Pawnshop in partnership with the City of Iloilo and sanctioned by Philta headed by president and Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez, is part of the annual, nationwide PPS-PEPP age-group circuit with other Open Championships slated at Olivarez, Parañaque in August, Gen. Santos City in September, San Carlos City in October and Naga City, Cebu in December.

Up for grabs is the top P40,000 purse with the runner-up to receive P20,000 and the two other semifinalists P10,000 each while the doubles winners will get P20,000 with the second placers taking home P10,000, according to tournament organizer and supervisor Bobby Mangunay, also the PPS-PEPP sports program development director.