ALKHOBAR, 11 January — Tennis has become the hottest sporting event in the Eastern Region with almost all companies and compounds had created tennis clubs to train their best smashers, young and old. Tennis competitions are being scheduled the whole year round by self-acclaimed tennis associations which bring live spirit of sportsmanship amongst the enthusiastic tennisters.
This prompted the new universal group to launch the 1st Eastern Province Team Tennis Invitational Tournament which is set to open on Thursday, Jan. 17, at the plush Algosaibi Hotel tennis courts.
The event, which is first ever to be staged in the Eastern Region, will be a team tennis competition with a double knockout format of best-of-five matches composing three doubles and two singles with a maximum of 10 players each team for Flights 2 up to 6 categories.
The team tennis competition is being organized by the Sportivo Mundial Management Group (SMMG), a sports promotions network with tie-ups in the Philippines, Europe, US and Canada. The group aimed not only to sponsor tennis tournaments here, but also other sporting events which will draw competitions worldwide.
The group whose steering committee are not only tennis enthusiasts but also have colorful background of other sporting events in the past, also plans to sponsor other sports competitions such as chess, bowling, volleyball, basketball, to name a few. Tournaments will also be scheduled back in the Philippines where other OFWs from around the world will meet and compete, according to Alex Navarro, one of the SMMG steering committee members. The steering committee to handle such a unique sports promotional competitions in the Eastern Province are Alex Navarro, a veteran driver from the Auto Rally Club in the Philippines; Romy Novelles, a Game of the Generals strategist from Mind Masters International;
SCUBA dive masters Conrad Jaberina and Manny Ramos; basketball hoopsters Arnold Samatra, Lito San Jose, Mar Lucanas, Danny Cenil and Rommel Aguiluz; volleyball spikier Ador Obiag; weightlifter Avel Mayo; woodpushers Ariel Cruz and Mar David; bowlers Efren Roman, Jun Cabaccang, and Manny Anes; and sportswriter Dinan Arana.
Participants in the reel-off team tennis tournament are groups representing various prestigious tennis clubs in the Eastern province such as the Bankers Tennis Association (BTA), Eastern Lawn Tennis Association (ELTA), Filipino Expatriates Tennis Association (FETA), Munirah Tennis Association, KFMMC Tennis Club, Al-Shuwayer Tennis Club, KFU Hospital Tennis Club, Al-Aujan Softdrinks Tennis Club, SCECO Tennis Club, BCI Tennis Club, Friday Tennis Club, Al-Bustan Village Compound, Millennium Tennis Club, King Abdulaziz Airbase, Al-Qahtani Pipe Coating, Saudi Catering, Lummus Alireza, Al-Rushaid Village, and Skyfreight Tennis Barkada.
Sponsors of this tennis tournament are Power Horse Energy Drink, Prince Racquet Shop, Chang Mai Restaurant, Aujan Softdrinks, and SkyFreight Forwarders. Trophies, cash, and attractive gift prizes are at stake for the champion and runner-up teams.
