An 8-Under category will be introduced for the first time in the Visayas leg of the Milo Junior Tennis Cup, which will kick off today at the Cebu International Tennis Centre Inc. (CITCI) in Laray, Consolacion.
The 8-under category, which will use low-pressure tennis balls, is held as a special event to prepare younger players for the regular age-group categories.
Other categories are boys and girls 18-under, 16-under, 14-under, 12-under and the unisex 10-under.
Coach Jovy Mamawal of the organizing Children’s Tennis Workshop (CTW) said that this year’s Visayas leg only gathered a few entries because some of the players are still having classes and their final examinations.
Mamawal said he might decide to hold the draw today before the games start just in case there are last minute entries.
This event is organized by the CTW for the 25th straight year already and is sanctioned as a Group 3 tournament by the Philippine Tennis Association and supported by Wilson tennis balls.
Cebu’s campaign in the event will be headed by Sally Mae Siso, Cebu’s no.1 singles netter in the girls division.
Some players from San Beda in Manila will also be seeing action. They are Pocholo Macalino, who will compete in the boys 16 and 18, Elijah Arevalo and Andre Rodriguez, who will both play in the boys 14 and boys 16 categories.
All winners will be getting Milo trophies and t-shirts plus equipment certificates worth P3,000.
The winners in the boys and girls 14-under, 12-under and unisex 10-under will also get an automatic entry to the Manila National Finals slated Nov. 3 to 4.