Puerto princesa: Palawan's capital city of Puerto Princesa will host two international table tennis tournaments next month. More than 600 entries from 20 countries are set to join the World Table Tennis (WTT) Youth Contender Series on September 3-6, and the WTT Feeder Series on September 8-12 at the Edward S. Hagedorn Coliseum.
According to Philippines News Agency, both tournaments will feature 20 countries each, with the Philippines fielding the largest entry of 60 athletes led by national team member Kheith Rhynne Cruz, along with a team from Puerto Princesa. "Hosting an international event here in our country is a huge help. First, because we can minimize costs, and at the same time, we get to compete against world-class players," said Philippine Table Tennis Federation Inc. (PTTF) president Ting Ledesma during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at the Philippine Sports Commission media room.
Ledesma emphasized that participating in such events allows players to experience world-class competition, making them more confident and comfortable on a global stage. Competition manager Daniel Deleniana, a board member of PTTF Inc., and Executive Assistant IV and City Sports Director Atty. Gregorio Austria joined Ledesma in the weekly session to discuss the event hosted by Puerto Princesa for the fourth consecutive time.
Deleniana noted that the Youth Series will feature 19-and-under athletes, totaling 426 entries, while the Feeder Series is an open category with 165 entries. The categories are divided into U-11, U-13, U-15, U-17, and U-19 for both boys and girls, with mixed doubles competitions in the U-15 and U-19 categories. Countries participating in the Youth Series include Australia, Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Maldives, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Chinese Taipei, USA, Oman, Brunei, and Slovakia.
The Feeder Series will see participation from Algeria, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Netherlands, Chinese Taipei, Oman, Brunei, Slovakia, and Indonesia. Austria acknowledged that hosting such events has helped Puerto Princesa become one of the country's top tourism sports hubs, having previously hosted events like Batang Pinoy, BIMP EAGA, Ironman Triathlon, and the ICF World Dragon Boat Championships.
"We saw that these sports would bring life to our city. When international athletes visit us, we are recognized not only in the Philippines but throughout the world," said Austria, speaking on behalf of City Mayor Lucilo Bayron.
