Thursday, February 21, 2008 Sanchez extends support to Tabotabo
VICE Governor Gregory Sanchez Jr. renewed his support for young tennis sensation Vince Mark Tabotabo as he agreed to once more shoulder Tabotabo’s expenses for his stint abroad.
The father of the young tennis player also denied reports that came out in another paper that another organization is supporting Vince Mark.
“It has always been Vice Gov. who has supported Vince Mark in all his competitions. It is very disappointing if there are people using him to gain mileage,” Titus said.
In a check with the said organization, however, Titus said the group denied to have pledged any kind of support to Vince Mark.
Sanchez, who is a longtime tennis patron for the young Tuburan-based netter, pledged more than P300,000 for Tabotabo’s trip to the US next month, where his main goal is competing in three sectional competitions in the Little Mo Tennis event in California.
The vice governor has been supporting Vince Mark for years now not just with his local competitions but also the international events.
In the US, Vince Mark will be joining the 11-Under division in the first of a series of the nationwide Little Mo sectionals on March 9 at the Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego, which will be participated by players from all over the region.
His next stop will be the Boys Open competition, ranked a national level 2, in the 38th Annual Maureen Connolly Memorial Tennis Tournament still at the same venue.
The last competition for Vince Mark will be the La Costa Jr. Open at the La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California.
In between these three competitions, Titus said that Vince Mark will be signed up in different training camps and other competitions.
With a tight budget, Vince Mark, his father Titus and coach Roy Tabotabo will make do with what they have to survive their three-month stay in the US.
Titus said they are all willing to make sacrifices in order to give his son the needed exposure to get him further in tennis.
From being a virtual non-entity, Vince Mark climbed his way up the hierarchy in the 10-Under division. He left this division on top of the ranking and is now starting the year playing in the Boys 12 class, where he is currently ranked third nationally. (MCB)
