Bigger, better PPS-PEPP circuit slated

MANILA, Philippines - The Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala regional tennis tour has lined up 52 events for this year’s staging, including seven Open tournaments, making it the country’s longest running and most comprehensive age-group circuit.

The Visayas leg of the nationwide tour, backed by new presentor Asiatraders Corp., will have 18 age-groupers and three Open championships while the Mindanao and Luzon swings will hold 14 and 13 juniors tournaments, respectively, and two Opens each.

“It has been our long-time commitment to help develop and promote the sport from the grassroots level and after another banner season, we are inspired to put up more tournaments this year, both in junior and Open ranks,” said Palawan Pawnshop CEO/president Bobby Castro.

“With Asiatraders Corp. as our new partner, we have come up with a year-long circuit that will keep our youth busy all year, especially from the countryside,” said Castro, referring to the country’s authorized sole distributor of Dunlop and Slazenger sporting goods.

“We are honored to be the presentor of this prestigious age-group tennis tournament that has continued to produce talents for future national pool and teams,” said Asiatraders Corp. vice president John Christopher Tan.

The 2016 circuit will kick off Jan. 7-11 in Roxas City while Dumalag, Capiz, Tacloban City and Lapu-Lapu, Cebu will host the next three legs on Jan. 14-18, Jan. 21-25 and Jan. 28-Feb. 1, respectively, according to tournament organizer and supervisor Bobby Mangunay, also the PPS-PEPP sports program development director. For details, call 0915-4046464.

For complete schedule of events, visit www.palawanpawnshoptennis.com.

Mangunay said that aside from the regular Philta rankings, the PPS-PEPP will have its own ranking system.

“Asiatraders Corp.’s entry as the PPS-PEPP presentor comes at a time when Philippine tennis, particularly the juniors ranks, is enjoying boom with tournaments held almost every week spiced up by a number of events for the country’s elite players,” said Philta president and Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez.

Four events are also slated in February while five tournaments are on tap in the next four months.

Two tournaments each will be held in Aug. and Nov. while five events each will be staged in Sept. and Oct. before the circuit winds up with four championships in December, including the season-ending PPS-PEPP Dagitab Tennis Festival Open in Naga City, Cebu.

The other Open events are the PPS-PEPP Open in Iloilo on Feb. 16-21, the Mindoro Pinamalayan on March 28-April 1, the 31st Bicol Seniors Open, the Olivarez Cup Open on Aug. 4-21, the Tuna Festival Open in Gen. San on Sept. 5-11, the Pintaflores Festival Open in San Carlos City.