Close to 250 entries, headed by the top junior players in the National Capital Region and nearby cities, kick off their chase for top honors in various divisions as the PPS-PEPP Dr. Pablo Olivarez national age-group 2019 gets going on Saturday in Sucat, Parañaque.
Denise Bernardo, Julia Ignacio, Justine Maneja and Alaine Obra brace for a spirited duel in the girls’ 18-and-under class while Loucas Fernandez, Marcus del Rosario, Daniel Estanislao III and Jester Ocio banner the boys’ premier side of the Group I tournament, which drew 32-player rosters in six age categories.
Maneja and Ignacio are also seeing action in the 16-U play that also features Gaby Zoleta and Melody Dizon while Ocio, JT Bernardo, Rafael Liangco and Lance Fernandez get the top billing in the boys’ 16-U bracket.
The organizing Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala set the event on two weekends (June 8-9 and June 15-16) and on June 12, a holiday, so as not to disrupt the student-athletes’ classes.
Felicia Araneta and Alecsa Ilao will lead the cast in the girls’ 12-U category.