A Filipina squad has won the championship for the first time in the Sultan Kudarat Friendship Team women’s volleyball tournament, which was previously dominated by Indonesians.
The organizers held the tournament on Apr 5 at Fa Hui Park Playground in Mong Kok to raise funds for a former Bicolano OFW who is cancer-stricken and in need of help, Sultan Kudarat team president Jhergin Barcelona told The SUN.
She said half of the proceeds will go to a project of the team for Cavite youths.
“We play for fun and, at the same time, nakakatulong kami kahit sa maliiit na bagay. Isa lang layunin ng aming grupo ang ipakita sa mga taong may mabuting puso na may paraan para makatulong sa mga nangangailangan,” Barcelona said.
Team Philippines’ D’Stitch unleashed a barrage of volleys as they scored 25 points against their Indonesian rivals Metal, who trailed the Filipinas by 15 points.
D’Stitch and Metal reached the championship by virtue of their 1-2 finish in the elimination round to be paired in the best of four, in which Filipino teams Defenders and Realsmashers faced off.
Defenders played a thrilling match against Realsmashers, but in the end shook off the challengers, 30-26, to emerge as second runner-up. Realsmashers automatically took the third runner-up position.
The four teams earlier defeated their competitors in the elimination round to enter the best of four games.
Barcelona said 13 teams in all participated in the friendly one-day league, the fourth since Sultan Kudarat was founded in October last year.
The teams were Dolphins, Abstract, NP Spikers, SET HK, DBozz, New Style, Realsmashers A, Realsmashers B, and Spinners.
Barcelona did not say how much they collected for the cancer patient, Imelda Aguila, who is undergoing chemotherapy. She said they received the request for help from members of another team.
