PPS-PEPP Manila netfest unfolds

The chase for top honors and ranking points among the country’s leading and rising junior netters begins today as the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala regional agegroup tennis tournament holds the Manila leg at the Olivarez Sports Center indoor courts in Sucat, Parañaque.

The bulk of the close to 400 players seeing action in the biggest gathering of age-groupers in years open their respective campaigns in various divisions, all seeking victories for the needed momentum in this cutthroat competition featuring a mix of fancied players and lesser lights raring to prove their worth.

All events in the boys’ section drew full-packed 64-player rosters, including a slew of unheralded players out to spring surprises in the event serving as the 24th leg of the 45-stage nationwide circuit sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop headed by president and CEO Bobby Castro and presented by Slazenger.

Al Francis Andrade, Joseph Apilado Jr., Finney Apilado and Joel Atienza are the players to watch in the premier 18-andunder side while Gabriel Tiamson, Marcus del Rosario, Mar Raphael Teng and Tim Gumban head the 16-U pack of the Group 2 tournament backed by Asiatraders Corp., exclusive distributor of Slazenger, and sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association headed by president and Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez.

The event was originally set for five days but organizers decided to extend it to a seven-day tournament to accommodate the big number of entries who beat the deadline last week.

Schedule and draws can be seen at www.palawanpawnshoptennis.com/draws, according to Bobby Mangunay, PPS-PEPP regional age group tennis event organizer and Sports Program Development director.