Charity tournaments for typhoon Haiyan victims

HAVING A BALL. Tournament participants gamely pose for group shots.

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

TWO tournaments held last Dec. 14 to 15 highlighted the month of fund-raising activities for the victims of supertyphoon Haiyan in central Philippines.

The Hataw Pinoy group in coordination with the Town of Matthews and The Crews Recreation Center held both a badminton and ping-pong tournament at the Crews Rec Center multi-purpose room over the weekend.

Co-sponsored by The Glance Foundation Inc., the ping-pong tournament drew 33 participants from Charlotte, Rock Hill, Concord, Matthews, Raleigh, Fort Bragg and even Georgia. 

There were also players from the Charlotte Table Tennis Club and The Hataw Pinoy Table Tennis Group. The table tennis tournament has advanced categories for both singles and doubles events and also a singles event for beginners. 

The table tournament started at 12 noon and lasted until 6 pm. The bracketing was organized by Orly Maturan of Hataw Pinoy and Monelle Reyla of Charlotte Table Tennis Club. 

Charity Pong T-shirts were sold out at the end of the two events. There were lunch and food sales by the Glance Foundation Inc during the badminton and table tennis tournaments. 

Participants and the audience were asked to bring used clothes, toiletries, school supplies, canned goods and other donations in kind for the Haiyan supertyphoon victims. 

By the end of the tournament, The Hataw Pinoy were able to fill up 2 big balikbayan (shipping) boxes filled with these donations in kind from the participants. 

The Hataw Pinoy organizers for the Charity Ping-Pong tournament were Aleth Cababa, Dimple Maturan, Orly Maturan, Jha Yabes and Adam Yabes.

The Charity Pong winners: 

Singles-Advanced: 1st Place: Prakhar Paharia 2nd Place: Randy Myott; 

Doubles-Advanced: 1st Place: Prakhar Paharia and Alex Alesna 2nd Place: Mike Sta Ana and Glen Sta. Ana

Singles- beginners: 1st Place: Adam Yabes 2nd Place: Erce Cobile