By Anthony Suntay

TENNIS will definitely be on the upswing now with the inauguration of the Tennis Academy of the Philippines Foundation Inc. and the TAPF Wellness Center, which aims to develop and train the most promising and talented players in the country to make them at par with the rest of the world.

According to TAPF managing director Manny Tecson, former Philippine Davis Cup team captain, the Academy was created as a foundation by Rep. Romeo Jalosjos to provide continuous funding support to deserving tennis scholars and to sustain its grassroots programs in search of would-be tennis champions for the country in international competitions.

The TAPF strongly believes that Filipino players—when given the same opportunity as with their foreign counterparts in terms of training and financial support—will definitely excel in the international tennis circuit. Tecson said tennis players from the marginalized sector of society will greatly benefit from the foundation, which offers free training and coaching with top-class coaches and hitting partners.

Qualified scholars, he added, will receive free education, board and lodging in the TAPF’s recently completed athletic dormitory and a monthly allowance for their personal expenses. The Academy will regularly monitor the training and performances of each scholar after which the most deserving will compete in tournaments abroad with the expenses to be shouldered by TAPF.

Currently, there are five scholars being supported by Jalosjos under TAPF, which include 15-year-old Jeson Patrombon of Iligan City, who emerged champion in a recent Singapore tennis competition. The scholars are all being housed at the TAPF at Katarungan Village in Muntinlupa City and their formal education and allowances taken care of by Jalosjos.

Meanwhile, Jalosjos and Fil-Estate chairman Bob Sobrepeña joined forces earlier to come up with the TAPF-Fil-Estate Sports Foundation merger to develop tennis in the Philippines and bring it to greater heights. The merger means better training programs, more coaches for players, up-to-date equipment and world-class facilities at Manila Southwoods that will be developed soon as a training center that can be promoted and marketed abroad as the place to train and stay when in Asia.

The TAPF has announced that it will hold a tennis summer camp at the Southwoods this coming April which is open to all players of all ages and skills.

In May, a free roving clinic will be held in the Visayas and Mindanao. As of to date, several applicants for scholarships have been received from players in Cebu and Cagayan de Oro who will converge in Dakak resort in Zamboanga del Norte for evaluation and recommendation.

TAPF is located at Block 73 Lot 27 Medeladea St., Katarungan Village, Muntinlupa City. For more information, call Jay Ressureccion at 850-0360.

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Congratulations to Mazda!

Mazda kicked off its fifth anniversary celebration by hosting an appreciation lunch for the media last Feb. 6. The lunch also served as the venue to formally introduce to the media the new Mazda marketing team headed by Steven Tan, vice president for Sales and Marketing. Tan thanked members of the motoring media, advertising and marketing executives of media outlets for their contribution to the success of Mazda over the last five years.

In the same occasion, Prudz Castillo, brand manager of Mazda, presented Mazda’s lineup of Zoom-Zoom activities for the public starting with the Zoom Fest held last Feb. 14 and 15. The two-day event at The Fort saw the debut of the Mazda BT-50 TRS Drift Team in collaboration with the Tuason Racing School. The drift team also conducted demos and ride exhibitions for the public.

Expect more events this ’09 from Mazda!

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Listen to Real Sports at 2:15 p.m. today at Wave 89.1. Our guest is swimming president Mark Joseph and he talks about the controversies surrounding the sport of swimming. Have a good weekend! God Bless!

E-mail me at realpsorts891@yahoo.com.