Saturday, October 04, 2008 Limpag: Why Sugbuak was good for sports By Mike T. Limpag Fair Play
AFTER three Cebu representatives filed bills to have their different districts formed into their separate kingdoms, er provinces, one of the responses the governor came up was the Unity Cup.
And when the Unity Cup for women’s volleyball started in 2004, I thought, it was bound to fail. Sports events shouldn’t be used to advance a political agenda. Sure, Unity Cup vs. Sugbuak had a nice ring to it, but the sport will suffer, I thought.
But four years later, Sugbuak is gone and the Unity Cup has become a blueprint for an ideal tournament and the Cebu Volleyball Association has showed how local chapters of national sports associations should function.
With 52 LGUs participating, the Unity Cup is magnificent in its scope and with players from small towns getting collegiate scholarships, it holds a lot of promise. No other tournament in the country can even pretend to make such claim.
The Cebu Volleyball Association, by going to far-flung towns and municipalities, showed it really is the volleyball association for Cebu. Unlike some Cebu chapters (at least, those who function) of other NSAs whose version of Cebu consists of Cebu City only.
From a skeptic four years ago, I now wish the Unity Cup isn’t only about volleyball. Imagine, an annual event that gathers 52 towns and cities playing basketball, billiards, badminton, chess and what else. It’s like Cebu’s Olympiad, every year.
Wow!
(I wanted to include football in my wish list, but knowing the limited venues, it just isn’t feasible. Also, a boxing event for warring mayors, vice mayors and councilors could be a good idea for a side event. I think it’s about time people watch their local officials squabble and have fun. Imagine, somebody going ala Michael Buffer…From the red corner, weighing 2,478 pounds …the City Council and Carlo PONTICO FORTUUUUUNNNAA … and from the blue corner, the reigning and DEfending mayorofmandauecity joNAAAAS CORRRRRRRRRRTTEZZZZZZZ!!!)
Nothing can bind a small town better than cheering for their own team against a bigger, richer and well-funded city team in a sports event.
Instead of officials plastering every other street with basketball rings with the words “this is the love project of…” they could put that money to good use by forming a team for a Unity Cup.
I chose basketball, billiards, chess and badminton because these present a less logistical nightmare for inclusion in a Unity Cup.
There are plenty of “Love Projects,” so a venue for basketball isn’t that hard to find and there are also plenty of players.
And when these Love Projects are not hosting hoops (or holding a bikini show during their cultural nights) you can transform it to a badminton court. Chess only needs a room. Billiards, like basketball, will have plenty of players, but a decent venue might be harder to find.
To keep the cost down, the cash prizes should be limited only to volleyball. That way, the sport retains its place in the Unity Cup. This is also a favor to our Olympians and Manny Pacquiao. People who say that Pacquiao and the Olympians are only concerned about money will know what it’s like to be playing for, and only for, your town’s glory.
Sugbuak is dead (Or is it? I really don’t pay attention to the front pages, unless a sexy girl is in the top left corner) and on its ashes the Unity Cup stands, alive and kicking.
Now, if only the other provinces will follow Cebu’s example, the Philippines will have a real grassroots program, for volleyball at least.
And if all these Unity Cups will involve other sports, there is no need for Philippine sports officials to go abroad and study other countries’ sports development program.
