A TWO-WEEK tennis festival, featuring the country’s leading age-groupers and elite players, gets going today (Thursday) with more than 300 junior players vying in the first leg of the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala San Carlos leg regional age group tournament in Negros Occidental.
To accommodate the record number of entries, host and sponsor Mayor Gerardo Valmayor Jr., the San Carlos City’s local government units (LGUs) and Criston Carmona, OIC for Negros Occidental of the organizing Unified Tennis Group, are tapping eight Sacata courts for the Group 2 tournament backed by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Slazenger.
All nine divisions feature 32-player draws, guaranteeing five days of top-notch competition among the country’s top and rising junior players.
Elizabeth Abarquez, Aubrey Calma, Ellaine Bahonsua and Bless Coderos banner the girls’ 18-and-under section while Vhon Tudtud, Troy Llamas, Ibarra Ortega Jr. and Reynan Mahusay loom as the players to watch in the boys’ premier division of the event supported by the UTG’s Cebuana Lhuillier, PPS-PEPP, Wilson, Toby’s, BMeg, Citigreen, Babolat and Tru-Flex.
“We take pride in assembling such a huge, talent-laden cast among our junior players. While the seeded bets are tipped to stamp their class, we also expect fresh faces to emerge,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.
Meanwhile, the Open championship will be played Oct. 29-Nov. 3 with Jason Patrombon, PJ Tierro, Vicente Anasta, Fritz Verdad, Mark Alcoseba, Bryan Otico, Jose Maria Pague, Jimmy Tangalin and John Mari Altiche bannering the men’s cast.
For details, call PPS-PEPP sports program development director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.
Clarice Patrimonio and Khim Iglupas, on the other hand, head the women’s roster that includes Marian Capadocia, Shaira Rivera, Rachelle de Guzman, Patricia Velez, Elsie Abarquez, Melanie Dizon, Tracy Llamas, Aubrey Calma and Janelle Llavore.
