THE spotlight will be on the up-and-coming players in the first district, when the Samsam Gullas Cup 3.0 Inter-Cities/Municipalities Basketball Tournament gets underway on Jan. 5 in San Fernando, Cebu.
Six teams will battle it out for the coveted crown in the tournament that was revived by First District Rep. Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas in 2016.
The tournament’s program director Deejay Villanueva told sports scribes that this season will commemorate the league’s founder, Eduardo Gullas.
“The legacy continues for this basketball tournament. We will commemorate this for the league’s founder, Eduardo Gullas,” said Villanueva in a press conference on Saturday, Dec. 29.
The tournament, which was founded in 1972, staged a total of 12 seasons until 2012.
Defending champion San Fernando will have its hands full in its mission to retain its crown this season against Talisay City, Minglanilla, City of Naga, Carcar City and Sibonga.
Talisay City is one of the teams to watch out for, following its triumph in the Governor’s Cup Inter-Cities/Municipalities Basketball Tournament. Talisay City won all its 14 games en route to winning the Governor’s Cup.
Villanueva said Talisay City’s key players in its championship Governor’s Cup squad will likely play in the Gullas Cup 3.0 making the team a serious contender.
Talisay City will take on Carcar City on Jan. 5 following the curtain-raiser match between City of Naga and Sibonga. San Fernando will face Minglanilla in the third game.
The Under-20 tournament presented by Emil’s Fresh Chicken and Tough Gear Sportswear will shell out P80,000 cash purse to the champion, while second to fourth placers get P60,000, P40,000 and P20,000, respectively.
The tournament will follow a single round-robin format, with the top four teams advancing to knockout semifinals. The finals will be a best-of-three series. RSC