DIOCESES and religious groups are all set for the 5th season of the Spring Rain Mission’s Cup Inter-Clergy Basketball Tournament, which will be held July 16 to 20 at the Capitol Parish Gymnasium along Escario Street in Cebu City.
In a press conference held last Monday at the City Sports Club-Cebu, organizers said the tournament will feature 13 teams coming from different dioceses of the country.
The 13 are the Padres Recoletos (Order of Agustinian Recollect), Manila Clergy (Manila Archdiocese Parochial School), Cebu Clergy (Diocese of Cebu), Rogationist, Ubuntu (Diocese of San Carlos), Survivors Clergy Region 8 (Diocese of Calbayog), Maasin Clergy (Diocese of Maasin), Camillians (St. Camillus), Pari it Akean (Diocese of Kalibo), Canossians Selection (Canossians), Davao Gilas (Diocese of Davao), Agustinians (Order of St. Agustine- Order of Discalced Agustinians), and the Greenkeepers (Diocese of Antique).
“The event is also one way of promoting the congregations’ advocacy, which will enable them to attract donors and benefactors who can help them fulfill their goals,” Glenda Antonio, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Spring Rain Global Consultancy, Inc, said. “The surprise cash prize will just be an additional reward for their funding.”
According to the Spring Rain Global Consultancy, Inc. Chairman of the Advisory Bard Fr. Victor Gonzaga, the event is not just about nurturing friendship and enjoying each other’s presence playing the sport. “We are doing this to help the church and the people of the church,” he said.
In the previous season in 2016, it was the Military Clergy who hauled the championship trophy. Cebu’s bet, Cebu Clergy All Stars, finished third place.
The Cebuanos were champions in the first (2013) and third (2015) editions of the tournament.
“We are 80 percent ready for the competition. We will be training some more with the time remaining,” Fr. Philip Pepito of Cebu Clergy said. “We have taller and stronger newly ordained priests on our team to watch out for.”