Bacolod City – This year’s MassKaralympics will feature ten sporting events that will bring national and international players to face off with local sports groups.
It kicked off recently with the 4-day 1st MassKara Beach Volleyball Tournament at the Bacolod Baywalk which is expected to bring in over a thousand enthusiasts and spectators.
Nine other sports events will be in their second year, including the much awaited 2nd Mayor Albee Benitez 10-ball Billiards Tournament that opened last Sunday.
Renowned billiards champs Efren “Bata” Reyes and Django Bustamante will face-off in an exhibition game during the 5-day tournament.
Reyes’ stint in last year’s tournament was cut short by 15-year old AJ Manas on the fourth day of the competition. This year, Reyes will not be competing but will have exhibition games with billiards’ fans, including a face-off with Mayor Benitez on the last day of the competition.
Last year, national billiards figure and former Guinness world champion, Jundel Mazon, romped off with the championship crown and P350,000 as cash prize after besting more than 120 players who came from all over the country along with some competitors from Japan and Indonesia.
Also expected to bring in international players are the badminton cup, table tennis and the football matches with teams coming from China and Malaysia to compete with local players.
Other sports events are tchoukball, bike ride, golf, bmx and skateboard, and a marathon.
The 2nd Mayor Albee Benitez Badminton Cup will open on October 7 at the Pohang Badminton Center, while the table tennis cup will see action at the Activity Center of Ayala Mall that same day.
Also opening their competition on the first week of the MassKara festivities are the 2nd Mayor Albee Benitez Volleyball Cup at the STI-WNU gym for five days and the 2nd MassKara Tchoukball Tournament which will open on October 12 at the Activity Center of the Bacolod City College for two days. (News & photo courtesy of Bacolod City Public Information Office)
