Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez throws his full backing to the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala tennis circuit as he hosts the first PPS-PEPP Hon. Richard Gomez Open Tennis Championship beginning today (Wednesday, June 13) at Ormoc Midtown Tennis Club.
Anthony Alcoseba and Nino John Villa gain the top two seeding in the 32-player field battling it out for the top P20,000 in the four-day men’s singles Open championship put up by Gomez as part of his effort and commitment to boost local sports in general and tennis in particular.
The event is also held as part of Ormoc City’s fiesta celebrations with the noted sportsman, who’s into golf, fencing, basketball and volleyball, among others, hinting at making the tournament, presented by Dunlop, an annual affair.
Gomez is also the country’s chief of mission to the 18th Asian Games set Aug. 18-Sept. 2 in Indonesia.
“This Goma Cup will surely boost local tennis and we thank Mayor Gomez’s support to the sport and the PPS-PEPP circuit,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro. “Aside from our annual age-grouper, the youth of Ormoc and nearby cities and provinces will now have one more tournament to look forward to year after year.”
Others vying in the event, backed by Asiatraders Corp. and sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines, made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg, are Ricardo Lagac, Norman Enriquez, Marc Enriquez, Amiel Aya-ay, Andrei Lago, Henry Aniana, Ronald Gemida, Wilson Ramos, Venz Alforque, Kevin Pantillo, Cedric Bravo, Rhee Young Ju, Onyot Mabini, Tyrone Ybañez and Ralph Alcordo.
The runner-up will receive P10,000 while the semifinalists will get P5,000 each.
Meanwhile, PPS-PEPP age-group action resumes Friday (June 15) in Sultan Kudarat with the staging of the Pax Mangudadatu Cup with the next two stops in Gen. Santos City and Digos City on June 21-25 and June 28-July 1, respectively.
Listup is ongoing. For details, call PPS-PEPP Program Development director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.