GUV Cup opens today

EIGHT years ago, university coaches and athletics directors were alarmed at the scarcity of volleyball players in Cebu. In fact, pundits have started considering it a dying sport in Cebu.

Fast forward to present time, Cebu is now teeming with talents that scouts from different universities need not go far to look for players.

Southwestern University (SWU) athletic director Ryan Aznar said he credits the revival of the sport to the province-wide Governor Gwen Garcia Unity Volleyball (GUV) Cup, which opens its eighth year today at the Cebu International Convention Center.

“As an athletic director, I can say that the GUV Cup has played an important role in reviving the sport’s popularity in Cebu. If you remember, it was a dying sport but because of the GUV Cup, nabuhi ug balik ang volleyball dri sa Cebu,” said Aznar.

SWU is dominating both the women’s indoor and beach volley tournaments in Cebu and their players are mostly discovered from the GUV Cup.

“I have recruited a lot of players from the GUV Cup. The players of my men’s volleyball team are from Mandaue, Liloan, Dalaguete, Catmon. Our high school team is composed of Catmon, Mandaue, Moalboal and even Oslob players.”

He added that the tournament is a big help to deserving players to get scholarships in different universities and this has somehow become the event’s advocacy—to give talented kids in far municipalities a chance at getting noticed by scouts and eventually a chance for college scholarships, something they do not get to enjoy often.

Today, the eighth edition of the GUV Cup will unfurl at 8 a.m.

A total of 59 teams are participating in the tournament. There will be three divisions, namely the Gwen Kids (GK) 7-12, men and women’s Gwen Open (GO) 13-17.

Philippine Sports Commission Chair Ricardo Garcia will grace the opening together with several officials from the Philippine Volleyball Federation.

Garcia said he is impressed by Cebu’s volleyball grassroots program and how it has contributed to the volleyball community.

“I was there last year and I was very impressed with what I saw. When I got the invitation from Gov. Garcia, I couldn’t not resist but to back to Cebu and be part of the event. I am sure there will be better players and better teams joining this season,” Garcia told Sun. Star Cebu in a phone interview.

After the opening, games will start at 1 p.m. Cluster 1 team of Minganilla will face Carcar City in the Gwen Kids-12 category and will be followed by the match between Cluster 7 teams of Compostela and Mandaue in the Gwen Open- women’s category. Cluster 5’s Bogo will face Bantayan in the men’s open.