Ben Madilynn
With the theme “Champions of Gold, Embracing Nature,” CESAFI 2024 will officially kick off on Saturday, Sept. 21, at the Cebu Coliseum.
CESAFI commissioner Felix Tiukinhoy Jr. said during the launching that they have prepared a “vibrant” opening ceremony, featuring some 250 dancers, for the fans and spectators on Saturday.
“We will have these vibrant opening numbers…We will also have a recognition of our Olympians (weightlifters Elreen Ann Ando and John Febuar Ceniza) who participated in the Paris Olympics during the opening program,” said Tiukinhoy.
Tiukinhoy also announced that they will introduce a college women’s basketball tournament next season.
“I already told the schools about the inclusion of women’s basketball, which was approved by the board, and we can start the tournament in 2025. If there are five teams we can put up, then we can have the tournament,” said Tiukinhoy in an interview with SunStar Cebu.
Meanwhile, two-time defending champions University of the Visayas Green Lancers assistant coach Raul Nuñez said they are “70 percent ready” for the tournament.
“We started practicing for CESAFI in mid-July. Honestly, our preparation is still quite lacking. If I were to gauge how ready we are, I would say we’re about 70 percent prepared for now,” said Nuñez in mixed Cebuano and English.
When asked how the team will defend its championship, Nuñez said they will do it one game at a time.
He added that in the succeeding games they will fuel their spirits with eagerness to win, while hoping to achieve a grand slam.
The 24th season will kick off with a basketball double-header featuring the debut of Cebu Roosevelt Memorial Colleges (CRMC) in the tournament.
The CRMC juniors team will face the Cebu Eastern College Dragons in the curtain-raiser, while the CRMC Mustangs will have their baptism of fire against the Benedicto College Cheetahs in the main feature.
Nine teams, including the UV Green Lancers, will compete in the collegiate division.
Sacred Heart School – Ateneo de Cebu, on the other hand, heads the cast of 12 teams seeing action in the junior high school category.
The basketball event also features competition for 12-Under and 15-Under age groups. Six squads are participating in the 12-Under category, while eight teams will be pitting skills against each other in the 15-Under division.
CESAFI member schools will also vie for top honors in athletics, badminton, chess, dancesport, football (HS and college), karatedo, taekwondo, swimming, table tennis, tennis, volleyball (HS and college), and scrabble.
Cesafi was established in 2000 to strengthen inter-school relationships and to provide a platform for showcasing the physical and intellectual talents of student-athletes.
