The organizers and ambassadors of the Cong. Rhea Gullas Cup pose for a group photo during its official launching on Wednesday, December 21, 2022, at the Sam’s Place 2022 Sportsbar. | By Glendale Rosal.
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Roger Ray Pogoy, one of Cebu’s brightest basketball stars, considers the annual Gullas Cup basketball tournament as his stepping stone to stardom.
The Gullas Cup returns after more than two years of hiatus and will now be known as the “Cong. Rhea Gullas Cup” which will open on January 21, 2023.
This major sports event is renowned throughout the Visayas region for its top-notch basketball action that discovered the likes of Pogoy from Minglanilla town, south Cebu, and other well-known Cebuano cage talents.
In a presser held at the Sam’s Place 2022 Sportsbar on Wednesday, December 21, 2022, Pogoy along with National University (NU) Bulldogs standout Steve Nash Enriquez, and University of the Visayas (UV) star and Cesafi MVP Jiesel Tarrosa and teammate Emman Suarez recalled their respective experiences in the annual sports competition organized by Congresswoman Rhea Gullas, the wife of Talisay City Mayor Samsam Gullas.
The 30-year-old Pogoy who once donned the Minglanilla Archangels jersey thanked the Gullas Cup which he said taught him many valuable lessons on and off the court.
“Dako kaayo ko ug pasalamat sa Gullas cup kay usa ni sa stepping stone kung asa ko karon, diin wala nako kaduwa sa Cesafi, niduwa ko sa Mayor’s Cup, niduwa ko sa Gullas Cup, two years unta ko wala makaduwa, ma bakante,” said Pogoy, a shooting guard of the Talk N’ Text Tropang Giga.
“Di jud ko makalimot ani kay wala mi pildi ani pag duwa namo. Nindot kaayo ang experience, mo sulong mi sa Carcar, sa Sibonga, di nako makalimtan ang experience. Kung unsa akong naabtan karon, apil ang Gullas ug Mayor’s Cup sa Talisay.”
Enriquez, Tarrosa, and Suarez echoed Pogoy’s sentiments as they also relive memorable experiences during their respective stints in the Gullas Cup.
Enriquez said he learned the value of being composed in crucial moments during his stint with the Archangels in the Gullas Cup before he went to Manila to play with NU.
According to Enriquez, their out-of-town games during the Gullas Cup enabled him to experience how was it like to play against the hometown crowd and the opposing team.
“Ang composure jud akong nakat-unan sa Gullas Cup. First time to nako moduwa ug away game. Dili atong court, mosulong ta sa Naga, sa Carcar, sa Sibonga. Daghan ko ug nakat-unan gyud nga mo perform gyud ta ug nindot bisan dili atong lugar,” said the crafty point guard.
Gullas Cup products, from left, Roger Ray Pogoy, Steve Nash Enriquez, Emman Suarez, and Jiesel Tarrosa. | By Glendale Rosal
MORE SPORTS EVENTS LINED-UP
What makes the upcoming “Cong. Rhea Gullas Cup” more exciting is the 10 other sporting events being lined up from January to February next year.
Besides basketball, the event will have volleyball, lawn tennis, badminton, chess, football, futsal, boxing, cycling, table tennis, and skateboarding.
These sporting events according to one of the organizers, Deej Pantinople are to be competed by all the cities and towns under Cebu’s First District.
“This time, naa sad mi iintroduce nga lain-lain nga sports. Karon sad, gusto namo i promote not just sports, but ang tourism sa mga cities and towns nga apil sa Gullas Cup,” said Pantinople.
And instead of the competing teams’ monikers, they will now use their tourism slogans.
Pantinople added that they will announce the host city/town for the opening ceremony on January 21, 2023. /rcg
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