First Philta Presidents Cup under way

MANILA, Philippines – The future of Philippine tennis will be showcased in the first Philta Presidents Cup Age Group Tennis Championships slated July 2-8 at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

Former Philippine Tennis Association president Salvador ``Buddy’’ Andrada said the week-long Group 1 meet, which offers 200 ranking points to the champion would be institutionalized as an annual competition in honor of the association’s past presidents.

Over 100 players from five age groups for boys and girls will smash their way to the titles at stake in the 10-under, 12-U, 14-U, 16-U and 18-U age classification groups in the tournament sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission.

“We want to recognize the efforts of our past presidents for helping our national team develop talents by spending their own resources,” said Andrada, the outgoing commissioner of the Philippine Sports Commission who served as Philta president for 19 years.

After Dr. Pablo Olivarez briefly led the association, Andrada took over from 1986 to 2005 and produced some of the best Filipino tennis players who gave glory to the country in international tournaments.

Manuel Misa became tennis chief for one year after Andrada before Luis Antonio Mendoza (2006-2008) and Julito Villanueva (2008-2009) earned the leadership role at Philta.

Under the present watch of Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez, who has been at the helm of the association since 2010, the sport further blossomed with the emergence of numerous age-group tournaments organized by the private sector and sanctioned by the Philta.