Cebu City Acting Vice Mayor Dondon Hontiveros (in green shirt, at the back) and organizer Blake Diao (in green shirt, front) pose with the champion team of the DH25 Men’s Volleyball Open Tournament. | Photo from Donald Bolivar
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The upcoming Sinulog Cup 2025 Basketball Tournament may undergo a significant transformation, potentially replacing basketball with volleyball as its primary sport.
This consideration follows the successful inaugural DH25 Men’s Volleyball Open Tournament, held earlier this month at UC METC in Barangay Mambaling.
Cebu City Acting Vice Mayor Dondon Hontiveros, who also organized the recent volleyball event, is exploring this shift to enhance sports tourism in the lead-up to the grand Sinulog Festival. Hontiveros, alongside fellow organizer Blake Diao, has expressed enthusiasm about the idea of incorporating volleyball, a sport that has gained considerable popularity nationwide.
The DH25 volleyball tournament attracted 20 teams, signaling a strong turnout for a new event and highlighting the rising popularity of volleyball.
“This year, our top prize for the Sinulog Cup was P150,000, aimed at promoting sports tourism. We welcomed teams from Mindanao, Bacolod, and Ormoc,” Hontiveros stated.
“While the event concluded successfully, we did face some issues during the tournament.”
Hontiveros recounted issues regarding his participation as a player in a team while also handling organizational responsibilities.
“Despite clarifying that a separate group was managing the tournament, concerns arose when our team did not even qualify for the second round. That’s when issues surfaced, including walkouts.”
Several teams, including EGS and UNBL, walked out during the tournament, a situation that drew attention but did not overshadow the event’s overall success.
The championship match between the OCCCI Sheermasters of Ormoc and Z’Nars Jewelry of Marawi attracted a large crowd at the Cebu City Sports Institute, underscoring the tournament’s success.
Given volleyball’s rising popularity, Hontiveros is considering incorporating or even replacing basketball in next year’s tournament.
“While we can’t avoid issues, we always strive to improve after each tournament. We will present our proposal to the board, suggesting that if basketball continues to pose challenges, volleyball could be a viable alternative,” he noted.
“However, we must also consider the traditional aspect of basketball in the Sinulog Cup.”
Diao supports Hontiveros’ vision, advocating for volleyball’s inclusion to attract more out-of-town teams, particularly if a women’s division is added.
“We have ample time to prepare. Introducing both men’s and women’s volleyball tournaments could encourage wider participation. This initiative would allow visitors to experience Cebu City during the Sinulog Festival while competing for cash prizes,” Diao said.
In the recently concluded DH25 Volleyball Open, Team Amigos triumphed, securing the P50,000 cash prize, while the CIT-U Wildcats finished in second place, earning P15,000.