The Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala tennis circuit looks set to surpass its 2019 staging in terms of number of events and participation with 40 junior tournaments lined up for the new season spread over Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
The country’s longest-running, biggest circuit has also scheduled 12 Open championships featuring the country’s leading players while boosting the tour with 16 Legends events and one National Students Open. This year’s edition also includes 30 free grassroots tennis clinics nationwide as part of its continuing effort to develop the sport and discover young talents, especially in the countryside.
“The year-long, nationwide circuit will not only keep our age-groupers busy but also keep them away from vices, especially during school breaks, since our program is aimed at instilling the benefits of physical fitness and core values,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.
The circuit, backed by official ball Dunlop, PPS-PEPP ProtekTODO Insurance, Mac’s Cranki and MCF Global and supported by local government units (LGUs) of each host city/municipality, actually kicked off the new season with the Fr. Fernando Suarez Cup at Philam Tennis Club in QC last week.
Being staged this week is the PPS-PEPP Dinagyang Festival tennis tournament, which got under way Thursday at LaPaz Plaza tennis courts in Iloilo City. Also on tap in the six-day event are the Legends 40s, 50s and 60s.
Next up is the PPS-PEPP Governor’s Cup on Jan. 16-21 at the Villareal Stadium in Roxas City. Listup is ongoing with the event also featuring the Open division. For details, call PPS-PEPP Sports Program Development director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.
From Roxas City, the weekly circuit, sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg, goes to San Carlos City for the Red Gold Cup on Jan. 18-19 before the Fr. Suarez Cup holds another tournament in Cebu on Jan. 24-Feb. 3 featuring the juniors, legends and Open divisions.
Other Open tournaments will be held in the Brookside Open (March 21-29) in Cainta, Rizal, the VAL 2020 Cup on May 10-16 in Cebu, the Dipolog Open on May 18-24, the Fr. Suarez Cup in Gen. Santos City in June, the MCF Global in Leyte in August, the Buglasan Festival on Oct. 15-21 in Dumaguete City, the Pintaflores Festival on Oct. 23-31 in San Carlos City and the Dagitab Festival on Dec. 15-21 in Naga City, Cebu.
The free grassroots and advance clinics will be staged in Cainta, Rizal, in the National Students Open at Actifit Sports Center in Valenzuela City in Sept. and in Cebu during the Dagitab Festival.
