Top junior netters vie in Mindanao table tennis

The best young netters from Mindanao will display their wares in the first leg of the Regional Junior Table Tennis Circuit on Jan. 25-26 at the Victoria Plaza in Davao City.

Aside from host Davao City, teams from Iligan, Cagayan de Oro, North Cotabato and Davao Province have already confirmed their participation in the two-day event hosted by the Table Tennis Association of the Philippines (TATAP)-Region 9 headed by Davao City Councilor Peter Laviña and Metro Davao Table Tennis Association president Friendee Nuñez.

Competitions will be in the boys and girls’ singles 17-under and 14-under categories.

The host city will be bannered by Palarong Pambansa gold medalist Jacqueline Caragao and Batang Pinoy campaigner Patrick Mendiola.

TATAP secretary-general Oscar Santelices said the association is on the lookout for promising players who will be considered for inclusion in the Philippine Team B that will see action in the Southeast Asian Juniors Championships which the country is hosting in April.

"We are giving chances to other players who did not make it to the Philippine Team A. Hopefully we will be able to get more talents whom we can be polished further by our coaching staff," said Santelices who will join TATAP president Victor Valbuena in overseeing the tourney sponsored by LG Electronics.

Accompanying Valbuena and Santelices are national mentor Lauro Crisostomo and event manager Robi Pangilinan.