Julius Otoc and Cyrelmae Sanchez headline a strong field seeking top honors and ranking points as the MJFC Araw ng Digos Juniors Age Group Tennis Championships fires off Wednesday at the Digos City courts in Davao del Sur.

Otoc and Sanchez are seeded No. 1 in the boys’ and girls’ 18-and-under division, respectively, with both also seeing action in the 16U category, albeit with lower seeding. The weeklong Group 2 tournament ushers in the Palawan Pawnshop Mindanao swing, which also features legs in Sultan Kudarat and Cotabato.

Seeking to spoil the top seeds’ bids for championship honors and valuable ranking points are Jhazz Fernando, Kurt Alcantara and Shaun Globasa in the boys’ 18U division, and Aika Salahuddin, Marxian Sira and Dyan Placa in the girls’ side.

Cristiano Calingasan heads the boys’ 16U cast, with Otoc seeded No. 2, followed by Kresthan Belacas, Kyle Ramos, Rein Hayana, Krisnel Batilo, Carlo Eduarte and Richlord Sira.

Multi-titled Francine Wong leads the girls’ 16U field, which also includes Justine Gumbao, Sanchez, Teresinha Calingasan, Kyth Solis, Marxian Sira, Placa and Dominique Calingasan.

Belacas, another multi-winner in the nationwide junior circuit, tops the boys’ 14U cast alongside Archie Roceta, Xian Sugsi and Andrei Domasing. Wong is likewise tipped to make a strong run in the girls’ 14U division, which includes Gumbao and sisters Teresinha and Dominique Calingasan.

Domasing and Arissa Macapendeg headline the youngest 12U division of the tournament, supported by ICON Golf & Sports and the Palawan Group of Companies.

The Mindanao swing is part of the nationwide junior tennis series put up by Palawan Pawnshop president and CEO Bobby Castro, whose program seeks to bring competitive junior tennis closer to the countryside, where a growing number of promising players are emerging but often lack opportunities to test themselves in high-level competition.

The tournament is hosted by Mayor Josef Fortich Cagas and sanctioned by Philta and Universal Tennis Rating.

Aside from the singles events, titles are also at stake in the boys’ and girls’ 14U and 18U doubles competitions.

Meanwhile, Sultan Kudarat will host the next leg on 10 to 15 September for the Bagong Pilipinas age-group tournament, with the Capital Indoor and Outdoor courts in Isulan serving as venue. The circuit then winds up in Cotabato with the Kidapawan Juniors Championship on 16 to 22 September at the Kidapawan City courts.