CLOSE to 300 entries, including the leading junior players and rising stars from various regions, gear up for a week-long battle for top honors and ranking points in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Olivarez leg age-group tennis tournament at the Olivarez Sports Center in Sucat, Parañaque.
Jose Maria Pague from Zamboanga, a gold medalist in the recent Palarong Pambansa, Jeremiah Macias II, Cenon Gonzales and Emmanuel Fuellas banner the field in the boys’ 18-and-under class while Cagayan de Oro’s Aubrey Calma and Gennifer Pagente, Danna Abad from Davao and Bea de Ocampo from Valle Verde, Pasig headline the girls’ cast in the premier division of the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Slazenger.
The event, backed by Asiatraders Corp. and the new Unified tennis group, led by PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s and B-Meg, actually got under way yesterday (Tuesday) with hostilities in the boys’ 14- and 16-U sides, both 64-player draws, and 12-U with action heating up today in all age categories.
“Drawing the leading regional players into this week’s tournament and a huge field such as this further inspires us to provide more top-notch tournaments for our youth from where the future members of the national pool will come from,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.
Others tipped to contend in the boys’ division are Khenz Justiniani from La Carlota, Negros, Olongapo’s Axl Lajon Gonzaga, Andre Sing from Davao, Malabon’s Daniel Estanislao III, Kean Enriquez and EJ Geluz from Imus, Cavite, Canlubang’s Ison Nicos, Pete Rodriguez from Bacolod City, Iriga, Bicol’s Jan Trillanes.
Casey Padilla, another top bet from CdO, is also in the hunt in the girls’ 12- and 14-U sides, which also drew National Capital Region’s Kaye and Mica Emana, along with Francine Dizon from Laguna, Sydney Enriquez from Zamboanga and Puerto Princesa’s Amelie Matta (14-U and 16-U) and Bliss Bayking from San Carlos, Negros (16-U).
Meanwhile, Manila Southwoods will host the PPS-PEPP’s next stop on May 21-25 before action shifts to Albay Legazpi for the Magayon Festival from May 27-June 4, including the men’s and women’s Open. For details, call Bobby Mangunay, the PPS-PEPP sports program development director at 0915-4046464.
The highly successful MCTA (Macs Crankit Tennis Academy of Australia) Community Coaches Conference and clinics, on the other hand, will be next held in Legazpi City on May 31-June 3.