NEOPHYTE TENNISTERS DOMINATE OPENING ROUNDS: 1ST PINOY TITLE 

1st Mabuhay Cup 2003 Team Tennis Challenge

‘Cargo’ Tennisters & ‘Volleyers’ overwhelm foes

Riyadh - Consistent frontrunners in the ongoing 1st Mabuhay Cup 2003 Team Tennis Challenge cemented their positions going into the 6th week of tennis actions and are expected to battle it out for the Championships come November 16 at Al Yamama Hotel Tennis Courts here.

In matches last October 25, the trio of Pacific Cargo, Serve & Volley and The Volleygators teams subdued their opponents in convincing fashion, scoring identical 5 points out of 7.

Pacific Cargo relied on the heroics of their B & C players, gaining 24 game points against 20 in downing Prime Movers. Only Pacific’s George Talatala & Vic Balahan (A1 & A2) lost, bowing out 4-8, to the duo of Nilo Cabug & Jilany Chaundry. The match for C3-C4 tennisters was rescheduled to a later date.

With the same onslaught, The Volleygators, hammered down Golden Grass, at the homestretch, with the matches of Ruel Restor/Ed Carlson (A1 & A2) and Ed Galing & Edwin Peleo (B5/B6) the double setbacks. The duo of Restor & Carson succumbed to the court mastery of Romy Onas & Frank Sta. Ana, 5-8, while Galing & Peleo bowed down to Cieto Literato & Nestor de Castro, 3-8. Ed Galvez & Edgar Santos (B1 & B2) demolished the tandem of Jun Tingzon & Rey Lamban, 8-5, so with Benny dela Cruz & Ariel Quijano (B3/B4) who cut short the initial resurgence of Rey Esteban & Dennis de Castro, 8-4.

Serve & Volley, on the hand, got the better of Al Rumaih-BSF with a well-spread court brilliance of its A, B & C players. Lito Briones & Silver Tabangcura (A1/A2) won a nail-biting tiebreak, 8-7, to dump Robert Angeles & Ed Robillos. Another tiebreaking victory by their colleagues, Winnie Garibay & Jojo de Castro versus Lorie Adalim & Abet Mendoza (B3/B4), followed. The pair of XC Agbada and Ato Bautista (B5/B6) extended Serve & Volley’s winning streak with an 8-6 triumph over the duo of Deo Pelaez & Gilbert Masias. S & V’s Ding de Castro & Roger Gapasin (C3/C4) completed the near sweep when they brushed aside the stiff challenge of Akram Hamadi & Charlie Antiporta.

In matches on October 26, early leader WRJ Cargo delivered an almost perfect performance, winning six matches but one played against Diversity. WRJ Cargo’s intention of a grand sweep evaporated when its C3/C4 tennisters, Vic Inofecio & Jojo Ingles, surrendered to Diversity’s duo of Francisco Sigaya & Max Lopez, after staying with their opponents in baseline rallies and crisp volleying at the net midway into the match.

Cali Drinks followed suit with the same demolition of GDMW Army, 6 matches to 1. Only the tandem of GDMW’s C1 & C2 players, Nony Adrineda & Cocoy Arong, escaped from the fury of Cali Drinks, winning the match convincingly, 8-5, against Jun Valentino & Fred Octubre.

Chennis Ever’s luck struck for the first time when they got past Uptown Boys, 37 games to 34. Delivering the goods for Chennis Ever were the tandems of Rico Ares & Jake Olaguer (A1/A2) and Arley Reyes & Cesar Unabia (B3/B4).

Team standing as of press time:

1. WRJ Cargo, 31 points; 2. The Volleygators, 27; 3. Pacific Cargo, 26; 4. Serve & Volley,22; 5. Prime Movers, 20; 6. STC-DETASAD, 19; 7. Diversity, 18.5; 8. Al Rumaih – BSF, 18 9. Cali Drinks, 18; 10. Uptown Boys, 18; 11. Golden Grass, 15; 12. Shotmasters, 15, 13. SEC-CRB, 14; 14. FC Netters, 13; 15. Chennis Ever, 13; GDMW Army, 8.5.

Tournament sponsors are Pinoy Supermarket, Philips Medical Systems, Cali Drinks, Pacific Cargo, Top Tennis Shop, WRJ Cargo & Services, Racquet Shop, Hastek Marketing and ABS-CBN The Filipino Channel. (Gem Beringuel)

PACIFIC CARGO TRIUMPHS; UPTOWN BOYS AVENGE LOSS

Red Cross Gets Big Donations From Pinoy Groups in Riyadh (by Bien Custodio, article published at Arab News)

Red Cross Gets Big Donations From Pinoy Groups in Riyadh


Bien Custodio • Special to Arab News

RIYADH, 5 July 2003 — Close to a hundred thousand pesos had been raised in separate projects by Filipino artists, martial arts enthusiasts, and students in Riyadh for the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC).

The Riyadh Artists Guild International (RAGI) has remitted 76,000 pesos to the Red Cross from its “RAGI One In Concert.”

The “Kick for a Cause” joint project of Nour Al-Maaref International School (NIS) and the Black Python martial arts group produced 18,000 pesos.

Both groups were responding to a call issued by the PNRC last year for help.

PNRC officials said they decided to turn Filipino organizations and individuals overseas because the non-profit private group was experiencing reduced support from its traditional donors either due to the financial crisis or “donor-fatigue.”

Many other groups, including the Al-Hekma International School in Jeddah (AHIS) and the Philippine School in Dammam (PSD), have also raised funds for the PNRC but RAGI’s donation was the biggest to date.

Staged in May, the RAGI One in Concert was organized specifically for the evacuees of Pikit town in the southern Philippine province of North Cotabato, who were caught in the crossfire between MILF separatists and government troops.

RAGI is one of the cultural groups under UNCLE, an umbrella organization with 45-member associations headed by Cesar Saavedra. RAGI past president Ferdie Urrutia, one of the organizers said the success of the project was made possible with the help of community members who patronized the concert, plus a long list of business establishments and individuals..

Urrutia said that aside from the monetary contribution, RAGI will be turning over 7 boxes of old clothes for Pikit evacuees, including 3 boxes collected from members of Kalipunang Kaakabay ng Manggagawang Pilipino sa Saudi Arabia (Kakampi).

Manuel Amora, Kakampi interim president, and Sanny Ingco, interim vice president, said the used clothing were donated by Filipinos working in the industrial areas, particularly those from Alessa Refrigeration and Air-conditioning.

For the “Kick for a Cause” project, school children of NIS chipped in their “snack allowances” in exchange for a 3-month martial arts training provided by Black Python, which was concluded in December last year.

Twenty-one NIS pupils completed the training, which was conducted by Eddie Sanches and Francisco Ruico Jr., Black Python martial experts.

Several Black Python members also participated in the blood donation program of PNRC during their vacation period in the Philippines.

Tennis organization such as the Pinoy Netters and professional groups such as the Institute of Integrated Electrical Engineers-Central Region (IIEE-CRCSA) have also started collecting voluntary contributions for PNRC.

PANDAY PIRA WINS PINOY CUP 2003 by Gem Beringuel

Panday Pira wins Pinoy Cup 2003
Riyadh – With persistence and endurance, Panday Pira subdued the might of highly-favored Emilio Jacinto, 3-1, in a best-of-four-set finals to capture the Championship of the 1st Pinoy Cup 2003 Team Tennis Tour last August 17 at Al Yamama Hotel Tennis Courts here.Both teams played superbly earlier in the tour, pulling ahead of the pack going into the finals.

During the Championship match, Panday Pira unfolded its defenses when its C3/C4 players (Francisco Sigaya & Allan Bayos) trounced Emilio Jacinto’s counterparts (Zosimo Mores & Edgar Estoesta), 8-3.

The result appeared to downplay Emilio Jacinto’s court senses but it was really a close tussle midway into the match when both teams made it 2-2 after four games. The next game also saw Panday Pira’s Bayos broken to go down, 2-3. But the momentum changed after that as Panday Pira’s duo broke back thrice and held serves to end the match after more than an hour of rallies.

In Court 2, Emilio Jacinto’s C1/C2 players (Eoji Lacno & Larry Constantino) fought tooth and nail to spring back their hopes, hammering Panday Pira’s Jo San Juan & Ramon Montales with the same score, 8-3. Unfortunately, the duo of Panday Pira’s B3/B4 players (Richard Villanueva & Mar Permites) doused cold water on their quest as they pipped in Rene Andes & Al Puse in the nail-biting tiebreak, 8-7.

The crucial B1/B2 match between Panday Pira’s Fidel Ulan & Noli Villasis and Emilio Jacinto’s Bert Oliva and Bong Bueta provided the drama that ensued after 12 games. Both pairs were leveled at 6 all, deuce (sudden death) when a backhand down-the-line volley by Oliva was called out by Villasis. The match was interrupted for a few minutes when both players stood by their calls. With the interference of umpires Edwin Sajonia and Ricky Tamayosa the match continued with Panday Pira gaining the upperhand in the decisive tiebreak, 9-7, and 27 points overall against 25 for Emilio Jacinto. Both pairs would have to replay had Panday Pira lost as they would be accumulating 26 overall points.

Simultaneously, Diego Silang posted three wins against early favorite Gomburza to clinch 3rd place. Gomburza, which registered a tiebreak win by its C3/C4 players (Edgar Polinar & Raffy Sta. Ana) against Diego Silang (Nabil Mojica & Gil Necesito), 8-7, settled for 4th. Diego garnered 31 points while Gomburza gained 18.
Awarding is on Sunday, August 24, at 8:30 p.m. at Al Yamama Hotel Tennis Court 1. Sponsors were Radisson SAS, Vodatel, Racquet Shop, The Filipino Channel (TFC), House of Donuts, Philippine Airlines, McDonald’s Olaya Branch, Al Manhal Water Factory Ltd (Exclusive Distributor of Springs Beverage Capri-Sonne Juices), Top Tennis Shop and United Foods Industries Co. (Deemah). GEM BERINGUEL

NET PLUS  (March 2003)

1ST PINOY DOUBLES TENNIS CHALLENGE STARTS FRIDAY