More than 300 entries begin their chase for top honors and ranking points as action in the two-week Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala (PPS-PEPP) Dagitab Festival leg regional age group tournament reels off today at the Naga City Tennis Club, southern Cebu.
Cebuano netters will be among the competitors in this tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Slazenger and held in line with the celebration of the Dagitab Festival of Naga.
Carcar, Cebu’s Elsie Abarquez and Tracy Llamas lead the list in the girls’ 16-Under and 18-Under classes that also include Melanie Dizon, Cebuana and Batang Pinoy gold medalist Zethley Alferez and Bliss Bayking.
Meanwhile, University of the Visayas (UV) ace Norman Enriquez looks to avenge his loss earlier this year against Cebuano-slayer Jose Maria Pague as they lead the pack in the 18-under boys division.
It can be recalled that Pague won three titles during PPS-PEPP Consolacion Leg earlier this year highlighted by finals victories against Cebu’s Enriquez in the 18-under division and Francis Hidalgo in the 16-under play.
There will also be netters from Ormoc, Negros and Zamboanga Sibugay joining the tournament.
“We are honored to host this huge number of participants in what promises to be an action-packed competition among the best and the rising stars in various age-group categories,” said City of Naga Mayor Kristine Chiong.
The organizers actually tapped other venues, including the Alta Vista Sports Club, the Talisay Tennis Club and the Apo Tennis Club, to accommodate the competitors vying in the boys’ and girls’ 12-under, 14-under, 16-under, 18-under and 10-under unisex divisions.
The age-grouper serves as a prelude to the open tournament which kicks off on Saturday.
“This is going to be an exciting two-week battle of power and wits and we are inspired to have drawn this huge number of participants, particularly from the age-group, considering it’s the holiday season,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.
Meanwhile, PPS-PEPP will also hold a series of free tennis clinics for the junior players on Dec. 29-30 at the Olivarez Sports Center in Sucat, Parañaque, on Jan. 2, 2017 at the Alabang Country Club, and on Jan. 2, 2017 at the Manila Polo Club to be conducted by former Davis Cupper Mel Ampon, son of Filipino tennis legend Felicisimo Ampon.
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