Dumalag, Capiz hosts Philta ranking netfest

MANILA, Philippines - Dumalag, Capiz gets a chance to host a Philta ranking tennis tournament in a long, long while as the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala regional age-group 2014 presented by Technifibre stages a four-day event beginning Friday.

This marks only the second time that Dumalag is hosting a tennis tournament since 1960. The province last produced a Davis Cupper in Ramon Funtera in 1974-76 while Tomas Falcis reigned as the national collegiate and national student champion from 1973-76.

“We are very grateful to Palawan Pawnshop for bringing this tournament here and it’s an honor to be chosen as one of the regular venues of the nationwide circuit,” said Dumalag, Capiz Mayor Eriberto Castro Jr. “This tournament will surely boost local tennis here with a lot of young Dumalag players hooked into the sport.”

Players from the whole of Panay Island, Pontevedra in Negros Occidental and La Carlota in Bacolod as well as those from Dumaguete and nearby provinces have confirmed participation in the event sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and sanctioned by Philta headed by president and Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez.

“It has been Palawan Pawnshop’s commitment to develop and promote the sport, especially in the countryside where we believe there are a lot of potential talents who could be tapped and developed into becoming members of the national pool,” said Palawan Pawnshop COO Bobby Castro.

This is actually the second tournament Capiz is hosting in three weeks with Averille Sacapano and Luke Flores coming away with a combined five-title romp in Roxas City recently.

The event, presented by Technifibre, also the official ball, will be also held in conjunction with Dumalag’s town fiesta celebrations.

Titles to the disputed are the boys’ and girls’ 12-, 14, 16- and 18-and-under and the 10-unisex. Listup is ongoing. For details, contact the Palawan Pawnshop age-group tennis secretariat at 0915-4046464.