A bigger, grander Gov. Gwen Garcia Unity Volleyball Cup (GUV CUP) is coming Cebu’s way with the addition of two more contest categories.
Now on its 11th season, this year’s GUV CUP, which is expected to be launched at the end of the month, has attracted the participation of 120 teams for the One Cebu Island-wide volleyball tournament, more than doubling last year’s participation of a respectable 48 teams.
Aside from the staple 21-And-Under Women’s Category, which attracted 51 teams this year; the Cebu Provincial Government has added the 21-And-Under Men’s Category which attracted 47 teams; and the Kids Category (from 7 to 12 years old) which attracted 22 teams.
The participating teams are representatives of their individual LGUs from the entire One Cebu Island, including the highly urbanized cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, and Mandaue; as well as the island-LGUs of Bantayan and Camotes.
Last Saturday, September 9, the 120 participating teams gathered at the Mandaue City Sports Complex for the general assembly and individual player screening by the organizing committee.
Among other things, disqualified from joining the contests were players who did not show up at the assembly, as well as national team players or varsity players of colleges or universities. The reason for this is that the GUV CUP is a developmental league, and it wants to give opportunity for development to Cebu’s grassroots players.
GUV CUP vice chairman Glenn Soco (Cebu, 6th District), as well as Cebu Volleyball Association president Francis Chad Salimbangon, were present during the important assembly where rules were set in order to minimize protests during the competition proper.
“Though we fight to be the right to be winners, let us not forget that we are here to unite the entire Cebu Province through sports,” BM Soco said in his speech. | Karen Gabales, CNU Film Media Intern
