Basketball with a vision

CEBU, Philippines — The second edition of the Samsam Gullas Cup Inter-Cities and Municipalities Under-20 Developmental Basketball Tournament gets underway this Saturday at the Minglanilla Sports Complex with a noble purpose - to head-hunt for talents and mold them to become future stars of Cebu hoopdom.

That is one of the underlying reasons behind the organizers' decision to stick to a single category and prohibit varsity players from competing in the three-week joust that features the up and coming cagers from the First District of Cebu.

In a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Cebu First District Rep. Gerald Anthony 'Samsam' Gullas, Jr. said more than fostering fellowship and camaraderie among his constituents through sports, he also want to find raw talents and help develop their skills that could be their ticket to a better future.

 "Our main purpose is to find raw talents that we could train, with hopes of opening the door for them to brighter opportunities like getting free education out of their being a basketball player," said Gullas.         

Established by his highly esteemed grandfather, the incumbent Talisay City Mayor Eduardo 'Eddiegul' R. Gullas, way back in the '70s, the Gullas Cup takes pride for being a breeding ground of hardcourt warriors who carved their own niche both in the amateur and pro ranks.

Councilor Rodi Cabigas, who followed its history, counted rising pro star Roger Pogoy, the reliable wingman of TNT KaTropa who was honored as 'Rookie of the Year' in the recently concluded 42nd PBA season, among the brightest products of the Gullas Cup. He even recalled that Cebuano basketball great Manny Paner once served as its commissioner.

Just this year, at least eight players from the First District who sparkled in the 1st Cebu Governor's Cup last summer made their way to the prestigious varsity teams of various universities.

Among them are Jan Mangaron and Marc Glenn Nebril of Minglanilla, and Jake Engbino, Jiesel Tarrosa, Windzel Granada, Vyron Villanel, Jhiey Paraldo, and Denzel Sabroso of Talisay City.

 Mangaron and Nebril are now with the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars, Engbino was picked up by Adamson University in the UAAP, Tarrosa, Paraldo, and Sabroso hooked up with the University of the Visayas (UV) Lancers, while Villanel and Granada landed a spot with the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Wildkittens.

"That is something we aspire to achieve from this endeavor," said Samsam Gullas. "The success of this tournament really depends on how many aspiring players we are able to help secure athletic scholarships out of this program."   

Meanwhile, the Gullas Cup follows a unique format this time.

The six contending teams are spread into two groups. Bracket A composed of the cities of Talisay, Naga and Carcar, while the towns of San Fernando, Minglanilla and Sibonga form part of Bracket B.

  They will follow a single round-robin format in the preliminary stage. Teams from the same bracket will figure in another round robin in the second round.

The top two qualifiers from each bracket will slug it out in the crossover semifinals. The winners will then clash for the championship in a best-of-three affair.

In the semis as well as in the finals, the team with the best record in the classification round will enjoy homecourt advantage.

The champion will pocket P80,000, while the second to fourth placers will receive P40,000, P30,000 and P10,000, respectively. (FREEMAN)