Big stars banner PPS Pintaflores Open tennis

Newly crowned PCA Open champion AJ Lim and veteran campaigners PJ Tierro and Johnny Arcilla headline the stellar field vying for top honors in the Palawan Pawnshop Pintaflores Festival Open Tennis Championship slated Oct. 27-Nov. 2 at the San Carlos Tennis Center in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental.

The three have confirmed participation in the event to be held in conjunction with the host province’s Pintaflores Festival celebration and sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop.

The week-long event, hosted by Mayor Gerardo Valmayor Jr., Rep. Julio Ledesma IV and Vice Gov. Eugenio Lacson, is tipped to draw more than 300 participants from various parts of the country.

“We ensure participants and fans of a smooth, successful staging of the event, this being the first time that we will be hosting an Open tournament,” said Criston Carmona, member of the organizing Pintaflores Foundation. “We thank Palawan Pawnshop for putting up this tournament which will surely boost the sport here.”

Free registration is ongoing. For details, call up Bobby Mangunay, PPS-PEPP organizer and sports program development director at 0915-4046464.

Bacolod’s Vicente Anasta and Sultan Kudarat’s Ronard Joven are joining Lim from Manila, Tierro from Olongapo and Arcilla from Butuan in the hunt for the top P40,000 purse in the event which also features hostilities in various age group categories.

“Putting up an Open tournament in San Carlos City is in line with Palawan Pawnshop’s commitment to develop the sport throughout the country and at the same time help in discovering talents in the countryside,” said Bobby Castro, COO of Palawan Pawnshop, which is shouldering the participants’ airfare, accommodations and meals for the duration of the event.

Also in the cast are Casey Alcantara, recent winner of the Olivarez Cup, from Cagayan de Oro, NCR’s Rolando Ruel Jr., Arvin Ruel, Alex Lazaro, John Altiche and Marc Reyes, Mark Alcoseba from Davao, CDO’s Fritz Verdad, Bryan Otico from PTA, Cebu’s Ruel Capangpangan, Bernardine Siso and Israel Abarquez, Amiel Aya-ay from Maasin City.

Meanwhile, the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala regional age group tennis tournament resumes in Negros Occidental, Dumaguete, La Carlota, Pontevedra and Bacolod.