Pontevedra hosts Palawan Pawnshop jr netfest

MANILA, Philippines - The municipality of Pontevedra in Negros Occidental makes its first-ever hosting of the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala regional age group tennis circuit presented by Tecnifibre starting tomorrow with a huge field clashing for top honors in various divisions at the St. Michael Tennis Court.

The host city’s top junior players gear up for a tough challenge against their counterparts from Iloilo, Siquijor, Dumaguete, Bacolod, San Carlos, Cadiz, Sagay and La Carlota, guaranteeing an action-packed four-day battle for supremacy in the event serving as the sixth leg of the 29-stage nationwide circuit sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and Technifibre.

“We are proud to be part of this tournament not only for our youth but also from those in nearby cities and provinces,” said Fr. Angelo Ansola, the event organizer who also heads Pontevedra’s junior tennis development program. “We hope to host more top-level tournaments to boost the sport here and at the same time be at par with our neighboring provinces in junior tennis.”

Registration is ongoing with Pontevedra Mayor Jose Maria Alonzo waiving the entry fee to accommodate all players, who will also receive souvenir shirts. Events on tap are the 10-unisex, and the boys and girls’ 12-U, 14-U, 16-U and 18-U categories. For details, contact Philta referee Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.

“Through the years, it has been the commitment of Palawan Pawnsho to support and develop our players by providing top-notch tournaments like this, especially in the countryside,” said Palawan Pawnshop COO Bobby Castro. “This tournament will surely inspire our young players to achieve a higher level of play.”

Pontevedra is actually the second new city to host the country’s premier junior tennis circuit with Los Baños hosting the third leg last month. Also expected to host the circuit for the first time this year are the Mandaue Tennis Club in Cebu, the Roxas Sports Complex in Roxas City, the Isabel Tennis Club in Isabel, Leyte and the Maasin Tennis Club in Maasin, Leyte.

“This is in response to the strong clamor to stage a tournament in various cities and provinces where the sport is popular,” said Philta president and Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez. “We are tapping new venues this year as part of our effort to promote the sport and discover talents in the countryside.”