MANILA, Philippines – Local fans brace for a two-week tennis showcase as the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala regional age group tennis tournament fires off today with the top and rising players from the host city and nearby towns clashing for top honors at the Naga City Tennis Club in Cebu Province.
The five-day tournament ending Tuesday also serves as the kickoff of a two-week tennis festival held in conjunction with the Dagitab Festival celebrations to be capped by an Open Championship on Dec. 16-22 featuring the country’s leading players.
They include veteran Davis Cuppers PJ Tierro, Johnny Arcilla and Jeson Patrombon and regular campaigners Ronard Joven, Vicente Anasta, Fritz Verdad, Arvin Ruel, Deo Talatayod, Diego Dalisay, Kyle Parpan, John Mari Altiche, Leander Lazaro, Israel Abarquez and Kennex Abadia.
But the age-groupers take center stage first with the likes of Zethley Mae Alferez, Elizabeth Abarquez and Beverly Enriquez headlining the cast in the girls’ 16- and 18-and-under categories and Norman Enriquez, Greek Apduhan, Kevin Pantillo and Francis Navales tipped to slug it out for top honors in the boys’ premier 18-U section.
“We’re inviting all tennis players and fans in the Visayas to watch and support the PPS-PEPP Dagitab Festival which will feature not only our young, upcoming stars but also the top players in the Open Championship,” said Mayor Valdemar Chiong of the NCTC, who also cited PPS-PEPP’s continuing effort to develop and promote the sport through a nationwide circuit.
“The huge turnout only inspires us to keep putting up tournaments, especially in the countryside, through the support of the LGUs, where the sport enjoys tremendous popularity,” said Palawan Pawnshop president and CEO Bobby Castro.