The University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers will be representing the country in the basketball competition of the 2013 Summer Universiade, which will be held on July 6 to 17 in Kazan, Russia.
This was announced by the Federation of School Sports Association of the Philippines (FESSAP), who will be sending an 83-person delegation to the biennial sporting extravaganza that features the some of the most prominent collegiate athletes from all over the world.
UV is following the footsteps of the University of Cebu Webmasters—manned then by current PBA player June Mar Fajardo—who represented the country in the 2011 Summer Universiade in Shenzhen, China. In that edition of this event, a record 152 countries participated.
The Philippines was among the 65 countries that brought home a medal—a silver—courtesy of Far Eastern University’s Samuel Thomas Harper Morrison in takewondo.
The nine-time Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) champions earned the right to represent the country after winning the title in the 65th National Students Basketball Championship held recently in Bukidnon.
Retired Col. Ariel Querubin, vice president of Philippine Federation of Body Builders Inc., will be the country’s Flag Bearer during the opening ceremonies on July 6. The Kazan Universiade has attracted more than 180 countries, led by the United States, People’s Republic of China, Japan, South Korea and host Russia.
The FESSAP is sending athletes in 11 sports. These are athletics, badminton, beach volleyball, basketball, chess, fencing, judo, swimming, table tennis, tennis, and weightlifting. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio