40 teams to compete in Kadayawan sepak takraw tournament
By Ivy Tejano
Published Aug 18, 2026 07:56 pm
Davao City First District Rep. Paolo Duterte’s Chief of Staff Jay Villarica and Sepak Takraw Tournament Director Joey Libaton brief the local media on the upcoming 2026 Kadayawan Sepak Takraw Tournament at Pidoks in Davao City on Tuesday morning, August 18, 2026. (Photo via Ivy Tejano / MB)
DAVAO CITY – At least 40 teams are set to compete in the First Kadayawan Sepak Takraw Tournament on August 21 and 22 at the Davao Recreation Center here, with organizers putting up a guaranteed P300,000 prize pool for the two-day sports event.
The tournament, which will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days, is presented by Davao City First District Rep. Paolo Duterte and the Pulong-Pulong ni Pulong organization.
In Tuesday's press conference at Pidoks-Matina, Joey Libaton, Sepak Takraw tournament director, said the event is open exclusively to Davao City residents aged 16 and above.
Duterte's chief of staff, Jay Villarica, said registration for the tournament is free, while participating teams will receive tournament jerseys and meals.
Villarica said the event is part of the Kadayawan Festival and aims to give local athletes a chance to showcase their skills, discipline, and sportsmanship in sepak takraw.
The champion will receive P50,000 and a championship trophy, while the first runner-up will get P30,000, the second runner-up P20,000, and the third runner-up P15,000.
Each participating team will receive a P5,000 consolation prize, while the championship team will be asked to choose a beneficiary barangay that will receive 50 sacks of rice.
Libaton said the Davao sepak takraw community is excited about the competition, which is one of the biggest tournaments of its kind he has handled.
"We aim to develop young athletes and promote sepak takraw, a sport that has produced successful Davao athletes but remains less popular than mainstream sports," Libato said.
According to the tournament director, under the tournament format, the 40 teams will be divided into eight brackets with five teams each.
Players will play a single round-robin format within their respective brackets, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the round of 16.
"The field will then be reduced through the knockout rounds until the semifinals and finals," Libaton said.
He said the field is expected to include a mix of young players, former varsity athletes, and experienced competitors from Davao City.
Libaton said players studying here may join if they can establish residency in the city, while those claiming Davao residency may be required to submit a barangay certificate of residency.
He added that team lineups will be circulated among participating coaches, who may raise protests if they believe a player is not qualified under the residency rules.
National team members, however, will not compete because of restrictions imposed by their national sports association, Libaton stressed.
He cited Davao-linked coaches and athletes who have competed at major events, including the King's Cup in Thailand, as examples of the city's existing talent base.
Libaton said the tournament aims to showcase Davao's strong history in sepak takraw, including its titles in Palarong Pambansa, national PRISAA, and other national tournaments.
"The main purpose is to showcase the talent in Davao City and show the rest of the Philippines how good our sepak takraw players are," he added.
For player safety, Libaton said the competition court will use Taraflex flooring similar to surfaces used in national and international tournaments.
Libaton said the surface is intended to provide better cushioning for athletes during jumps and landings.
He encouraged the public to watch the tournament at the Davao Recreation Center, or Almendras Gym, where local teams will compete in a high-level "battle of champions."
Asked whether the tournament would become an annual Kadayawan event, Villarica said no commitment could yet be made for next year.
Villarica said the inaugural competition is expected to serve as a showcase for local athletes who higher-level teams and national sports officials may later notice.