Angelica Novis hopes to ride the momentum of her two-title romp in Digos last week as she leads close to 200 players chasing honors and ranking points in the PPS-PEPP Tagum City national age-group beginning today (Friday, March 8) in Davao del Norte.
Reyman Saldivar Jr., on the other hand, tries to make up for his failed two-title bid the last time out although he faces an uphill battle again in the full-packed 14- and 16-U rosters of the Group 2 tournament presented by Dunlop.
Keen competition is also seen in five other categories in singles play with five titles also up for grabs in the doubles event of the tournament serving as part of the Mindanao swing of the nationwide circuit put up by Palawan Pawnshop headed by president/CEO Bobby Castro.
Host Mayor Allan Rellon has guaranteed a successful staging of the event at the Tagum City Tennis Club with the top and rising age-groupers from nearby towns and cities all geared up for five days of battle of power and style.
Khobe Dumlao, Kurt Haro and Andre Santiago are tipped to dispute the boys’ 18-U singles crown with the 14-year-old Saldivar from Kabacan also trying his luck in the centerpiece division of the tournament.
Yusuf Maldo, also from Kabacan, likewise goes for a repeat in the 10-unisex along with local bets Juliana Carvajal in the girls’ 14-U and Charles Jumawan in the boys’ 12-U section.
But focus will be on Malita ace Novis and Saldivar, two of a number of emerging talents produced by the year-long nationwide circuit sanctioned by Unified Tennis Philippines made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg.
Meanwhile, a huge field is being firmed up for next week’s event coinciding with the Araw ng Davao celebrations. For details and listup, call PPS-PEPP Sports Program Development director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.
