Anthony Bjorn Castigador (left) wins four titles at the Palawan Pawnshop National Juniors Tennis Championship in Iloilo City on Sept. 2, 2024. He will lead the boys’ team in the Asia-Oceania zonal qualifying round of the World Juniors Tennis Championship Under-14 in Manama, Bahrain from Feb. 17 to March 1. (Contributed photo)
Palarong Pambansa double gold medalist Anthony Bjorn Castigador of Iloilo City is set to spearhead the Philippine boys’ team in the Asia-Oceania Zonal Qualifying Round of the World Juniors Tennis Championship Under-14 in Manama, Bahrain, from February 17 to March 1.
Joining him in the boys’ squad are Marcus Lorenzo Go and Mikael Andreas Honrada, under the guidance of coach John Rey Moreno. Meanwhile, the girls’ team will feature Maristella Torrecampo, Ella Mhae Paglalunan, and Ayl Xyza Gonzaga, led by ITF Level 3 coach Czarina Mae Arevalo.
This will be Castigador’s second international tournament following his impressive performance in Sri Lanka last January, where he clinched a gold and a silver medal at the ITF Asia U14 Development Championships in Colombo.
“I’m so happy for the opportunity to play again for the Philippine flag. I will do my best in Bahrain,” said Castigador, a 12-year-old Grade 7 student at Central Philippine University.
Recently, he secured a gold medal in the secondary boys’ singles event of the Integrated Meet, earning a spot in the upcoming Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association (WVRAA) competition.
Castigador is currently ranked No. 1 in the Philippine Tennis Association’s Under-14 division and No. 7 in the Under-16 rankings, making him one of the country’s most promising young tennis talents.