MANILA, Philippines — The boys’s nationwide volleyball staff went from making historical past in 2019 to being diminished to a program in disarray lower than 4 years later.
From a silver that shone like gold within the Southeast Asian Video games the nation hosted, the boys’s squad was hit by inactivity as COVID-19 worn out coaching periods and native leagues, the unavailability of key cogs and revelations of absent assist over the last version on the biennial meet.
And this system is constructing redemption on the backs of younger newcomers.
However below the brand new system of Brazilian coach Sergio Veloso, these first-timers are wanting to show themselves and carry this system from its latest adversities and into glory within the thirty second Southeast Asian Video games in Cambodia.
“Totoo ‘yun mabigat para sa amin ngayon. Tinetake namin siya as a problem talaga kasi nga dahil bago yung staff tsaka yung pinalitan ng bawat isa large names yun sa Pilipinas,” stated setter Vince Mangulabnan, who’s among the many 12 first-time SEA Video games campaigners out of the 14-man roster.
Mangulabnan will skipper the rebuilding squad and already, he talks like a pacesetter.
“Hindi kami magpapromise, hindi kami magsasalita ng tapos pero ang gagawin namin. It’s like what coach Sergio says sa amin lagi: Give your 110 p.c. Ilalaban namin hanggang sa restrict namin. Kung kaya namin magstep over the road sa restrict namin gagawin namin greatest namin para sa bansa.”
ROUGH JOURNEY
FILE–The Philippine males’s volleyball staff celebrates some extent in opposition to Thailand. INQUIRER PHOTO/AUGUST DELA CRUZ
It has been a tough journey for the boys’s nationwide volleyball program after it modified the panorama of the game within the nation with its historic silver medal within the 2019 SEA Video games. The momentum created by that victory, nevertheless, was stalled because the staff led by Bryan Bagunas and Marck Espejo below coach Dante Alinsunurin was thrust within the freezer by the COVID-19 pandemic that led to the shortage of coaching and native leagues.
The consequence? The staff did not make the rostrum in 2022 in Vietnam.
This system’ remained shaky because it went via a large rebuilding course of. The Philippine Nationwide Volleyball Federation (PNVF) eliminated Alinsunurin from his five-year teaching put up on account of his commitments to his longtime UAAP staff, the NU Bulldogs, and his new gig as Choco Mucho coach within the Premier Volleyball League.
Odjie Mamon quickly took cost earlier than Veloso arrived final March.
After which there have been adjustments the federation was pressured into as an alternative of constructing a call on.
Bagunas, who lately emerged as MVP and champion in Taiwan, begged off from enjoying on account of his upcoming marriage ceremony in June. Korea V-League-bound Espejo likewise left this system. Beginning setter Joshua Retamar additionally yielded his slot within the nationwide staff to concentrate on the UAAP. Retamar later uncovered the shortage of the PNVF’s assist to final yr’s SEA Video games squad.
POC’S CLERICAL ERROR
New males’s volleyball nationwide staff coach Sergio Veloso. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.internet
After which like a cosmic joke, as if destiny itself was in opposition to the boys’s nationwide staff, the Philippines wasn’t a part of the preliminary draw. It seems the event was much less kismet that it was a easy clerical error by the Philippine Olympic Committee.
Fortunately, the host and different taking part international locations have been magnanimous sufficient to conform to a redraw.
Jau Umandal, the lone member of the historic 2019 staff, and final yr’s libero Manuel Sumanguid, have been the final holdovers for the rebuilding squad additionally composed of Kim Dayandante, Vince Lorenzo, Jayvee Sumagaysay, Jade Disquitado, Lloyd Josafat, Jay Rack De la Noche, Rwenzmel Taguibolos, and Leo Ordiales in addition to Filipino-American recruits Steve Rotter, Cyrus De Guzman, and Michael Vicente.
Sumagaysay, who didn’t make the ultimate minimize in 2019 and wasn’t a part of the pool final yr, harassed they’ll’t have a look at who just isn’t on the staff and simply take the massive problem in stride.
“Kung sino nandyan, magimprove tayo kasi lahat tayo meron tayong profession, meron tayong gustong patunayan hindi lang sa bansa kundi sa sarili natin,” stated the veteran center blocker. “Ito na yung pagkakataon na iangat yung males’s volleyball ulit. Ipakita na kahit nawala yung mga teammates namin midday sila Marck Espejo, Bryan, sila Kim (Malabunga) ang laki ng kailangan namin punan kasi alam namin kung gaano kalaking kalibreng gamers yung nawala. Pero doon namin mapapakita na meron pa rin palang gamers na kaya magcompete sa ganung degree.”
“Kahit na ang iniisip ng tao na sila lang kaya, para sa amin kaya din namin kasi pare-parehas lang naman kami nagttraining, nagsasakripisyo so walang cause para sabihin namin na hindi namin kaya,” he added.
TAIWAN, JAPAN CAMPS
Philippine males’s volleyball staff off to Taiwan. –PNVF PHOTO
Regardless of the restricted preparation, Veloso was happy with the development of the nationals, who educated in Taiwan final February and held a two-week camp in Japan the place they confronted the Panasonic Panthers in a sequence of friendlies.
“The gamers have improved rather a lot since I launched a brand new system and little totally different technical expertise. I’m so assured the gamers can use this within the SEA Video games in Cambodia,” Veloso stated. “I believe we will do a very good job I’ve a very good feeling about that.”
“All people is a part of the system and that is my rule, in the event you play with out the system I put you out and I put the opposite participant. I put together not solely six to seven gamers, however I additionally put together all 14 gamers to play/ I don’t have just one or two robust gamers,” the brand new nationwide coach added. “In my profession, I gained a whole lot of championships as a result of I’ve a powerful staff. I like the thought of everyone enjoying collectively.”
The Philippine males’s volleyball staff is slotted in Group A, and can tackle defending champion Indonesia on Might 3 at 3:30 p.m. to start out their marketing campaign at Indoor Olympic Stadium.
The nationals will even face the host and reigning bronze medalist Cambodia on Might 4 at 8:30 p.m. earlier than wrapping up the elimination spherical in opposition to Singapore on the following day at 6 p.m. with the highest two groups from every group advancing to the semifinals.
PRIDE AND PROMISE
Veloso guarantees this rebuilding staff will battle exhausting for the nation’s satisfaction.
“I believe you’ve got robust gamers out of this staff, too. You’ve all the nice gamers. However if you put the Philippines (jersey), it’s an enormous accountability. (For) the followers and the volleyball neighborhood, we are going to battle exhausting to defend the Philippines,” he stated.
True sufficient, the 18-year-old Jade Disquitado, who made waves within the earlier Spikers’ Turf Open Convention as one of the best scorer and prime exterior hitter, reveals no worry in his first SEA Video games stint.
“Maipapangako ko lang is gagawin ko yung greatest ko sa lahat ng laro namin and kukuha kami ng medal sa SEA Video games,” stated the youngest member of the staff.
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