YAP CUP BASKETBALL SECOND SEASON SLATED, VOLLEYBALL FOR WOMEN STARTS

September 7, 2024 Provincial

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet

The second season of the Cong. Eric Go Yap Congressional Cup is expected to start next month. That and the inaugural volleyball tournament for women are to start on the first week of October. Coordinators from the 13 municipalities in a meeting with Yap’s chief of staff Kevin See last Tuesday agreed that the tournament will start on October 5 where a parade of the two teams – men’s basketball and women’s volleyball – from each town and their muses will precede the start of games at the Benguet Sports Complex if available. It was also learned that La Trinidad will only have one team or a total of 13 teams representing each of the municipalities.

It is unlike in the inaugural staging where the capital town had two teams, the first squad finished as champion while the second placed fifth. This year, the team roster will be trimmed down to 15, See told the municipal coordinators present. See also told the coordinators, where representatives from Tuba, Mankayan and Bokod were absent, that teams can have varsity players but who must commit to play. He said that students should need to get the waiver from their respective school for them to be allowed to play.

“We need teams and players to be competitive,” he said as they expect mid-season games against visiting teams and a repeat of the showdown of the men’s basketball all-star team against the Motoclub team composed of retired Philippine Basketball Association players. With 12 teams, a total of 78 games are scheduled in the single round robin “home and away” elimination round where towns could host games. Commissioner Roderick Osis said that games are expected to be staged in Itogon, Sablan,Tuba, Kabayan, Mankayan and Kapangan. Other venues include Buguias and maybe even Tublay and Atok.

Most of the games are scheduled at the BSC where the post-season games will be staged also. For the quarterfinals, Osis said that the top four teams battle the bottom four and will enjoy a twice to beat advantage. The top team plays the lowest ranked squad, with the second seed facing the seventh ranked team and so on. In the semifinals of the basketball will be a round robin event where all teams will play against each other. The top two teams advance to the best of three finals. He added in cases of ties, the win over the other is applied for two teams, with the team that won which will advance. However, if three or more teams are tied, the tie break will be applied.

The champion receives a trophy and PhP250,000 in cash, while a cash counterpart will be given to the chosen organization See said that each team must identify two beneficiaries, one each for basketball and volleyball. Osis said that teams can also get “imports” who will come from other towns from Benguet. Players who moved to a new town and have their place of vote changed to that town will be treated as a ”local” player. Coordinators and their coaches can now have their tryouts which they can post on the tournament Facebook page. He said that deadline of line ups will be on September 15 so to give time for the making of uniforms. Osis said that coordinators can also submit the line-up of their volleyball teams. The towns have existing teams who played in the Governor’s Cup that concluded last June.

Pigeon Lobien/ABN