THE University of Cebu’s (UC) table tennis stars Dannel Jay Tormis and Val Stephen Jaca will be among 13,000 athletes, coaches and officials from different parts of the globe competing in the 2015 World University Games or 28th Universiade which opens today in Gwangju City, South Korea.
The biennial Games will run from July 3 to 14, Among the events to be competed in the meet are athletics, archery, badminton, baseball, basketball, diving, fencing, football (soccer), golf, gymnastics (Artistic and Rhythmic), handball, judo, rowing, sport shooting, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball and water polo.
Jaca and Tormis left for Korea yesterday, according to UC athletic director Bernard Ricablanca.
The multi-titled duo will go up against the best rising stars in the sport including title favorites from China.
The UC representatives, and the other participants are billeted at the Universiade Village, said to be the heart and soul of the Games.
The Universiade is an international, multi-sporting event for university athletes organized by the International University Sports Federation (FISU).
Its organizers claimed that the meet, held every two years in different cities around the world, “is second only in importance to the Olympic Games.”