The national men’s and women’s beach volleyball teams will start going into physical training next week under a more relaxed quarantine protocol settings in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte.
They will be sent to the northern part of Luzon after the National Team Committee named 10 members each for the men’s and women’s beach volley pool, instead of the usual four.
Philippine National Volleyball Federation president Ramon “Tats” Suzara said this following the announcement on Wednesday of the 20 men and 16 women who made the initial cut to the national volleyball indoor pool.
“Makatikim naman sila ng sariwang hangin and makapag-ensayo naman sa beach at hindi nakakulong sa gym at sa hotel,” said Suzara.
Members of the national men’s and women’s beach volley squads, which made it to the bronze-medal round of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games have been retained.
The men’s beach volley squad, led by Jude Garcia, Jaron Requinton, James Buytrago and Ranran Abdilla, are joining the Asian Contintental Cup, which is a qualifier for the Tokyo Olympics,
Women’s beach volley team members, led by Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons, will join the men’s team in plans to train outdoors in the Ilocos Norte region, which is now under a General Community Quarantine.
The coaches, Paul Jan Doloiras (beach volleyball men) and Rhovyl Verayo (women), also plan to bring them to nearby provinces to extend their training as well.
Both beach volley teams are set to plunge into action from June 14 to 17 in Thailand and will extend their stay for up to a week if any of them makes it as far the semifinals.
Suzara said talks are now going on with the local government units for possible partnerships in training.
National Team Commission chair TonyBoy Liao said that while the roster of the national men’s indoor team has been completed, they plan to complete the list for the national women’s squad, which only has 16 players.
Four additional players will be included and recommended once Brazilian coach Jorge Edson Souza de Brito comes to Manila on July 1.
The members of the national men’s and women’s indoor pool, which was collated following a three-day tryout at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone last April 28 to 30, are being readied for the Asian Senior Championship slated to start on Aug. 27 at the Angeles University Foundation in Clark, Pampanga, right after the FIBA Asian World Cup Qualifiers for Basketball.
“We just had the go-signal to have the tournament there only yesterday,” added Suzara.
The national men’s team is handled by Dante Alinsunurin, while the women’s side is mentored by Odjie Mamon.
Mamon said they are still in the process of naming a setter, outside hitter, libero and opposite to complete the women’s pool.
The men’s pool includes 13 members of the team that clinched the silver medal behind Thailand during the SEA games.
As for the women’s side, Pons, Rondina, Dzi Gervacio and Diz Reyes are among the four players from the 2019 squad that claimed the bronze medal.
On the other hand, Abdilla and his teammates settled for fourth after bowing to Singapore during the men’s bronze-medal match of the SEAG beach volley.