Palaro to award ranking points, goes high tech

DAPITAN CITY, Philippines  – In an effort to spice up the action in the 2011 Palarong Pambansa, organizers are putting in place innovations, including staking ranking points in tennis, and having livestreaming and video postings of some of the games, when the premier sporstfest for elementary and high school students blasts off tomorrow.

Len Toledo, consultant to the chairman of the 2011 Palarong Pambansa Organizing Committee, said they had asked the Philippine Tennis Association Region 11 to make the tennis hostilities a sanctioned event wherein competitors can earn points in the Philta points system.

“We’ve already written the Philta regional and the feedback is they might sanction the Palaro as a local points system,” he said.

Tennis ace Jeson Patrombon, a protege of the Tennis Academy of the Philippines Foundation of former Zamboanga del Norte Rep. Romeo Jalosjos, will be at the Dakak Tennis Court to watch the matches and inspire the young netters, too.

Organizers will likewise move forward with their plan to offer a livestreaming of the finals events in centerpiece sports athletics and swimming on the Palaro’s official website, depedtfss.wikispaces.com. Additionally, the organizers will capture in full various ballgames which will be posted on the same site for viewing.

This historic city, known as the place where national hero Jose Rizal was exiled, will play host to some 14,000 athletes, coaches, delegation officials and chaperons from 17 regions from May 8-14.

“Preparations-wise, everything’s in place, the venues are ready, the delegations are all in and the complex is completed,” said Toledo.