BACOLOD CITY – Councilor Al Victor Espino has a newfound love for volleyball.
An active soccer and practical shooter during his teen years, the longtime councilor here admits it was the seminal Top Gun movie that drew him to what he calls now as the “beautiful sport.”
It was the iconic volleyball match between Maverick and Ice Man, the naval aviators of the 80s movie played by Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer, respectively, that sparked his interest in volleyball.
That match, played on the beach by shirtless, handsome movie stars whose coiffures remained in place despite the sporting action, drew giggles, oohs and aahs from women moviegoers but it was also seared into the mind of Al Victor Espino.
Before that movie, he saw volleyball, like most men, as a “girlie sport.”
These days, however, Al Victor is one of the ardent supporters of what he now calls as the “beautiful sport” and has, in fact, sponsored an Al Victor Espino Volleyball Cup here that is now on its second season.
Last Saturday, the Al Victor Espino Volleyball Cup (Inter-Barangay Men’s Open) kicked off at the Bacolod Arts, Youth and Sports (BAYS) Center.
Several barangay-based teams joined the opening of the games that will last until late March.
