All set for 19th JRG Gullas Tennis Cup

CEBU, Philippines -  What's in a name? For the Gullas Cup, it's truly something special.

Now known as the JRG Gullas Tennis Cup, the 19th edition of the most sought–after junior tennis tournament in the Visayas and Mindanao will take place on August 21–14 in two venues – the Alta Vista Golf and Country Club tennis courts in Barangay Pardo and the Citigreen Tennis Resort in Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City.

JRG stands for Jose Rivera "Dodong" Gullas, the man behind the event.

"It's  is only right and fitting that the Gullas Cup, one of the most-recognized events in Philippine tennis calendar, will bear his name because it is really Sir Dodong who started it all. Without him, this tournament could not have existed," said sportsman John Z. Pages, one of the Gullas Cup primovers way back in 1995.

"Also, it's the third longest-existing junior tennis event in the country (after the Mitsubishi International Junior tennis Circuit and the Andrada Cup) and it's something that we can be very proud of," added Pages.

The 19th JRG Gullas Tennis Cup was formally launched by no less than Gullas himself yesterday at the University of the Visayas  Foreign Lounge. He was joined by Pages, UV Vice President for External Affairs lawyer Joseph Baduel, and tournament director Fritz Tabura.

Aside from the new name, this year's edition features several other firsts.

"It's the first time the we're holding the tournament outside of the summer months. It's also the first time that we're holding it indoors. This guarantees us that the event will go on, rain or shine," said Pages. "We will also be having a welcome dinner for all the participants. We want to let them feel that aside from the serious side of the competition, the're also a social aspect in it wherein they could get to know each other and foster fellowship among them."

On the other hand, Tabura said they're expecting more number of entries this time compared to last year despite the exclusion of the 21-under division.

Tabura said out-of-town players from Manila, Cagayan de Oro, General Santos, Tangub City, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Bacolod, Ozamiz, Biliran Province in Leyte and even from the typhoon Yolanda-ravaged Tacloban have already signified their intent to join in the four-day tilt.

For Cebu, among the hometown bets to watch for are the likes of  Jana Pages, the defending girls 16 and 18-under champion, Arthur Craig Pantino, Zethley Mae Alferez, Shane Villareal, Grabriel Frazo, and siblings Kristin Renee “Kara” and Cesar Kristofer “Zak” Salimbangon among others.

All in all, 14 categories will be contested. The unisex 10-under, 12, 14, 16 and 18-under for both boys and girls singles, and the 10, 14 and 18-under doubles.

Interestingly, multi-titled Cebuana netter Sally Mae 'Em-Em' Siso, one of the brightest players the Gullas Cup has ever produced, is still part of the Gullas Cup but not as a competitor but as a member of the organizing committee.

"Even though I'm already 'overaged,' I'm honored to be still part of the Gullas. I'm happy because I really want to help and contribute something to the tennis society in Cebu," said Siso.

Registration fee is pegged at P300 inclusive of an event T-shirt. For further details, one may keep in touch with Em-Em Siso at 0923-9609117 or Jun Tabura at 0927-8788686 or 0922-7138390. (FREEMAN)