Multi-titled Sydney Enriquez and Eric Tangub resume their hunt for more PPS-PEPP honors as they banner the cast in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Ozamiz National age group tennis tournament, which got under way yesterday at the Ozamiz Tennis Club.
Enriquez has been a dominant force in the girls’ 16- and 18-and-under divisions in past stops of the year-long, nationwide circuit although the Salug, Zambo del Norte expects a tougher challenge this time against the likes of Jalia Elumba, Kristine Bandolis, Marie dela Cerna, and Marie Anghag.
Tangub, from Tucuran, Zambo del Sur, also braces for a stiff encounter with Nash Agustines, Ashton Villanueva, Sebastian Lagamon, Steve Sonsona and Divo Pepito with a host of others raring to pull off a surprise or two in the Group 2 tournament presented by Dunlop.
Close to 200 players are vying for titles and ranking points in the five-day tournament put up by Palawan Pawnshop and sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg with UTP-OIC Ian Villanueva as sponsor.
Keen competition is also seen in five other categories with Aslan Carbonilla, Christopher Sonsona, Zarc Denopol and Agustines, and Judyann Padilla, Elumba and Bandolis headlining the 14-U field, and AJ Bering, Andrei Esick, Cyd Villamar and Pete Bandala, and Angel Denopol and Gwen Bandolis looming as the players to watch in the 12-U side.
“As in past PPS-PEPP legs, we expect new faces to emerge and whose surge only underscores the vast talents waiting to be tapped, especially in the countryside,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.
Titles are also to be disputed in five doubles events.