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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Palawan junior tennis brings 3-week showcase to Mindanao

Palawan junior tennis brings 3-week showcase to Mindanao

Published Aug 29, 2026 04:03 pm

At A Glance

  • Following the successful staging of the Palawan Junior Series last March, which featured stops across the Visayas and Luzon, the long-running circuit continues its nationwide trek with a busy Mindanao schedule designed to sustain the momentum of junior tennis while providing more youngsters from the countryside an opportunity to test themselves against the best players in their age groups.

The Palawan Pawnshop nationwide junior tennis circuit shifts to Mindanao next week for a three-tournament swing that will take the country’s premier grassroots talent-search to Davao del Sur, Sultan Kudarat and Cotabato, giving the region’s young players another major platform to compete, gain ranking points and valuable experience and showcase their skills.

Following the successful staging of the Palawan Junior Series last March, which featured stops across the Visayas and Luzon, the long-running circuit continues its nationwide trek with a busy Mindanao schedule designed to sustain the momentum of junior tennis while providing more youngsters from the countryside an opportunity to test themselves against the best players in their age groups.

The Mindanao swing kicks off with the MJFC “Araw ng Digos Junior Age-Group Championships” on Sept. 2-8 at the Digos City courts in Davao del Sur, with another strong field expected to vie for honors in the boys’ and girls’ singles in the 12-, 14-, 16- and 18-and-under categories.

Titles in the boys’ and girls’ 14-and-U and 18-and-U doubles will also be disputed in the tournament being held in honor of Digos City Mayor Josef Fortich Cagas.

The series then moves to Sultan Kudarat for the Bagong Pilipinas age-group tournament on Sept. 10-15, with the Capital Indoor and Outdoor courts in Isulan serving as venue. The Mindanao swing wraps up with the Kidapawan Juniors Championship on Sept. 16-22 at the Kidapawan City courts in Cotabato.

Palawan Pawnshop has remained at the forefront of this grassroots movement, sustaining a year-round, nationwide junior circuit that goes beyond simply staging tournaments. The program serves as an extensive talent-identification and development platform, allowing promising players to gain competition experience and potentially earn consideration for future national pools and teams.

Sanctioned by Philta and Universal Tennis Ranking and supported by Dunlop, ICON Golf & Sports and the Palawan Group of Companies, the nationwide talent-search was initiated by Palawan Pawnshop president and CEO Bobby Castro as part of his continuing effort to raise the standard of junior tennis in the country.

And while Mindanao takes center stage for three consecutive weeks, the nationwide circuit remains in full swing elsewhere.

Siquijor will host another junior tournament, the Governor’s Cup, on Sept. 17-22 at the Capitol tennis courts. The event, sponsored by Gov. Jake Villa, will feature the same age-group divisions, adding another venue for young players to compete and sharpen their skills.

Related Tags

Palawan Tennis
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