PADDLERS from all over the Philippines gathered at the Robinsons Galleria Cebu for the start of the 27th Erne Jawad Memorial Table Tennis Cup yesterday.
The elimination rounds will be played today while the championships is set for tomorrow.
The national tournament is organized by the Erne Jawad Memorial Table Tennis Club, Inc. headed by Jessica Jawad Honoridez, who is also the athletics director of the University of Cebu (UC).
Initially, the tournament was organized by Erne Jawed, a Philippine team member, not as a memorial but to promote table tennis in the country back in 1991, the year it was first staged.
However, on the night before its first staging, and while waiting for the playing tables to be transferred from Abellana National School to the main quadrangle of UC, Jawad was stabbed in front of ANS. He was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.
“It was difficult for us. It took us years to accept and get answers as to why it happened. Maybe, it’s just the way things are,” said Honoridez, who added, “it was sad to lose Erne since he was our eldest and stood as the padre de pamilya.”
From that fateful first edition, the tournament, most popularly known as the Jawad Cup, has become the longest-running tournament in the Philippines.
“Maybe Erne wanted us to remember him thru this event,” said Honoridez.
Their mother, 83 years old Mamang Esther Jawad, initially did not want to push through with the event but eventually came to accept it and travels annually from Basilan to here for the event.
Aside from Cebu, this year’s participants also came from Manila, Ormoc, Iloilo and Ozamis.
A new category added this year is the Executive Open 45 and above, to give chance to the those aged 45 years old and above who still want to compete.