Bigger Gullas Cup

A BIGGER and more exciting tournament is expected for this year’s 18th Gullas Cup as organizers decided to bring back the boys and girls 21-Under division for the tournament on April 11-15 at the Cebu International Tennis Center in Consolacion, Cebu.

According to tournament organizer John Pages, age group players usually join the men’s and women’s open after playing in the 18-Under division but they decided to bring back the 21-Under division since some of the former junior players are not ready for the open division.

“With the 21-under boys and girls divisions, we will get the chance to see former top age groupers such as the Siso Siblings, and RJ Abarquez, among others, play again,” Pages said during a press conference yesterday.

Pages was joined by University of the Visayas (UV)’s executive vice president Jose “Dodong” Gullas, external affairs officer Atty. Joseph Baduel, Swedish coach Tommy Frederiksen and tournament director Fritz Tabura.

Gullas said the tournament is their way of helping train more Filipinos in tennis. He said he is overwhelmed that the tournament is considered as one of the five longest-running Group 2 Philippine Tennis Association (Philta) sanctioned tournaments in the country. The Gullas Cup has also produced three junior Davis Cup members--Jacob

Lagman and UV’s own Francis Largo and Fritz Gerald Tabura, the son of UV coach Fritz.

“I still remember telling John 18 years ago that the only way to make this sport grow is when we develop the young kids ages 10 to 18 and that is what is happening now,” said Gullas, who is also a tennis aficionado.

Since the tournament will be held in April, which will also have the 14th Truflex National Age Group Tennis Championship and the Milo Tennis Visayas Leg, organizers expect to get maximum participation and that they will surpass last year’s field of 196.

Aside from players from the Visayas and Mindanao, organizers expect those from the National Capital Region to join as well.

“The tournament is fast becoming a national tournament because last year, we had winners coming from the other regions,” Tabura said.

The tournament will have the 10-under unisex, and the boys and girls, 12-, 14-, 16-, 18 and 21-Under. Registration fee is P300.