Top favorite Cuba, the reigning world champion and the Atlanta Olympic
Games gold medalist, collides with South Korea at 5:30 p.m. while defending
grand prix champion Brazil tackles Italy at 7:30 p.m.
PRESTIGE, NATIONAL honor and cash are at stake when four of the world's women volleyball superpowers begin their round-robin tournament today in the World Grand Prix Championship before an expected banner crowd at the PhilSports Arena (Ultra).
Top favorite Cuba, the reigning world champion and the Atlanta Olympic
Games gold medalist, collides with South Korea at 5:30 p.m. while defending
grand prix champion Brazil tackles Italy at 7:30 p.m.
All matches are expected to be tight and interesting as all four teams have come prepared having just arrived from separate grand prix tournaments in Macau and Malaysia.
The Manila leg is one of two final legs in the series to select the top four teams which will play in the finals in Beijing next week where a pot of $200,000 is on the line.
The event is expected to be an exciting treat for local fans who for the first time will see the world's best women's volleyball players in action.
"If these were basketball, these teams are the top NBA teams," said Benny Gopez, chairman of the Philippine Amateur Volleyball Association.
Gopez is hoping that by bringing the world's top players here, Philippine volleyball would get a much needed boost. He also expects tourism to be benefitted as the country will be projected on the global stage as the event will be shown worldwide on ESPN to include a live broadcast feed to Brazil.
Brazil has won the Grand Prix three times and is confident of making it
four. But it is wary of Cuba, perennialy a title contender, and also Italy
and South Korea which have risen in the world rankings.
"This is a tough tournament, there are no easy games. Our goal is to get to the top four and to do this we have to win more matches," said Brazil's coach Bernardo Resende in an interview.
Teams are given points for wins and losses and the top four at the end of a series of legs, advance to the finals where a total of $370,000 are at stake.
In all, counting the prizes handed out to winners of the various legs, over $1 million are being contested by eight teams. The other four are Russia, Japan, the Netherlands and China which will play in Malaysia also this weekend.
Tickets for the three-day event continue to sell briskly at Ticketworld outlets in National Book Stores but they will also be available at the gate before the games.
On Saturday, the matches will pit Italy against Cuba at 3 p.m. and Brazil against Korea at 5 p.m. Final day matchups will be Italy against Korea at 2:30 p.m. and Cuba vs. Brazil at 4:30 p.m.
All the matches will be televised locally by Vintage Television on IBC-13.
Sponsors of the tournament are PAGCOR, PCSO, Honda Cars, Isuzu Phils., Century Park Hotel, Taraflex, Nextel, Citgo Phils., Mizuno Solhart, Mikasa, Aqua Fina, Gatorade, SSS, UBix and the Department of Tourism.
Text adapted from Manila Bulletin, August 20, 1999