Maasin hosts 3-day tennis confab

MANILA, Philippines - The Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala holds another three-day MCTA Community Coaches Conference beginning tomorrow in Maasin, Leyte coinciding with the PPS-PEPP age-group tournament at the Maasin City Tennis Courts.

Mayor Nacional Mercardo will host the seminar-clinic now part of the nationwide program put up by the PPS-PEPP in cooperation with the Macs Crankit Tennis Academy of Australia aimed at providing a high quality experience to coaches and athletes alike. 

MCTA coach Patricia Concon-Puzon will conduct the Teachers Conference and the free tennis clinic for grassroots and advance under the Australian Tennis Professional Coaches Association.

Meanwhile, close to 300 entries from Iloilo, La Carlota, Gen. Santos City, Digos, Sarangani, Malaybalay, Bukidnon and Cebu are vying in the PPS-PEPP age grouper, which also drew participants from Ormoc, Tacloban, Baybay, Hilongons, Bato, Matalon, Samar, Guiuan, McArthur and the host city, according to Maasin City and PPS-PEPP sports coordinator Embet Aya-ay.

“This is the first time that we’re hosting a big tournament such as this and we hope to produce a new Ringo Navarosa. We’re also inviting all tennis aficionados and Dep-Ed teachers who may want to level up their coaching career,” said Mercado.

Organizers have decided to make the teachers’ confab and clinics, originally set in the Mindanao region, a nationwide affair in response to the requests of the various LGUs to help develop and promote the sport and boost their respective youth programs.

“We thank the MCTA, ATPCA and Babolat for expanding this project to the nationwide level where players with potentials, along with Filipino coaches, can be tapped for training in Australia,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.

The PPS-PEPP MCTA ATPCA will be held next in Legazpi City on May 31-June 3 followed by Olivarez Sports Center on Aug. 5-7, then back in Visayas in San Carlos City on Oct. 30-Nov. 2 before it winds up in Naga, Cebu on Dec. 16-18.

For details, call up  Bobby Mangunay, the PPS-PEPP sports program development director at 0915-4046464.