CLOSE to 200 entries from various cities and provinces gear up for a fierce duel as action in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala age-group tennis circuit resumes in Dipolog City today (Friday, March 2) at the RGS Tennis Club in Zamboanga del Norte.
Faye Lim and Anne Ramillete hope to live up their top billing in both the 16- and 18-and-under play in the girls’ side with Kristine Bandolis and Jedidiah Gupit (16-U) and Rica Ligason and Audrey Quimbo (18-U) out to spoil their title bids in the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Slazenger.
Keen competition is also seen in the boys division, particularly in the 12-, 14- and 16-U classes which all feature 32-player draws. Kurt Bandolis, Mari Erquita, Andrei Esick and Matthew Sanchez banner the field in the 12-U side while Oroquieta’s Nash Agustines seeks to make it two-in-row in the 14-U section after a victory at home last week in the five-day event backed by Asiatraders Corp. and Dunlop as the official ball.
“Drawing a huge number of players from nearby towns, cities and provinces should inspire the locals and boost the development of the sport in Dipolog,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro, who has tapped new venues in their 40-plus leg circuit as part of their commitment to expand their talent-search.
Out to foil Agustines are Ashton Villanueva, Russell Daarol and Kurt Bandolis with Villanueva and Daarol also vying in the 16-U side topbilled by Nilo Ledama, who also gains the No. 2 seeding behind fancied Jose Maria Paguia in the premier 18-U category of the event sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines, made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg, are the players to beat in the girls’ 14-U division.
Kristine Bandolis and Judy Padilla, a two-leg winner in Ozamiz, are the players to beat in the girls’ 14-U division. Padilla also leads the cast in the 12-U section with Lianne Lanipa while a four-way battle looms in the 10-unisex division among Matthew Sanchez, Kyne Solis, Mark Barrios and Steven Cajes.
Meanwhile, registration for the next PPS-PEPP stop in Tagum, Davao del Norte, set March 8-12, is ongoing. For details, call PPS Sports Program Development director and event organizer Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.