The Universidad Espiritu Santo (UEES) conducted the UEES CUP, The event was an inter-university tournament that brought together soccer, basketball and volleyball delegations from ESPOL, Ecotec, UTEG, Universidad de Guayaquil, Universidad Católica and the host UEES.
During the inauguration, UEES signed an inter-institutional agreement with the North American Afro-Ecuadorian Chamber of Commerce, in order to promoting sports, fostering new cooperative partnerships and promoting training opportunities for young athletes. This agreement was presented as a central milestone of the event, strengthening the institutional commitment to sports development in the country.
“It is an honor to have the former World Cup players who led us for the first time to that dream that marked a before and after in the country. As UEES we celebrate this alliance and inaugurate the UEES Cup to continue on the road to success not only academically, but also in sports,” said Isidro Fierro, UEES rector.
The opening of the tournament was accompanied by a historic opening game, in which exglorias del fútbol ecuatoriano faced the UEES National Team. Figures such as Iván Hurtado, Eduardo Hurtado, José Francisco Cevallos, Marlon Ayoví, Augusto Poroso, Ángel Fernández, Luis Fernando Saritama, Alberto Montaño and Giovanny Espinoza returned to the field to experience a match full of emotion and sporting nostalgia.
“We appreciate the hospitality, we had a lot of fun playing with the kids, there is very good material here, there are very good players, so keep working in the same way, I congratulate you,” said Ivan Hurtado, vice president of the Afro-Ecuadorian Chamber of Commerce and representative of former players.
The day represented a unique opportunity for students, The participants were able to play, socialize and share directly with Ecuador's world-class players, celebrating university sports and the value of the intergenerational experience in soccer.
