Young aces eye top honors in Palawan tilt

MANILA, Philippines - Action in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala regional age-group tennis tournament shifts to Puerto Princesa City this week with the country’s leading and rising junior players vying for top honors in various divisions.

Entries from Pampanga, Iriga, Naga, Lucena, Sultan Kudarat, Marbel, Malita, Bacolod, Iloilo, Aklan and the National Capital Region have confirmed participation in the Group 2 tournament firing off Oct. 26.

Host Palawan Pawnshop, headed by COO Bobby Castro, will provide free accommodation to all participants to encourage more players to join the event plus a free tour of the world famous Underground River.

Titles to be disputed in the event, sanctioned by Philta and sponsored by Babolat through Technosports president Guillermo Nocom, are the 10-unisex, 12-, 14-, 16- and 18-and-under for boys and girls.

For details, contact Philta referee Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.

“This event is part of a series of nation-wide tournaments launched to address the need for a national program for our junior netters,” said Castro. “It provides a venue where these players can hone their skills and talent and gain the much-needed exposure.”

“Palawan Pawnshop and Babolat have been in the forefront of tennis development for years and we will continue providing our youth top-notch tournaments like this,” said Philta president and Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez. “This tournament will surely inspire our young players to achieve a higher level of play.”

The nationwide age-group circuit also serves as the regional tournament program for children staged to address the need for a grassroots tennis centered on values formation, said Nocom.