PREMIER Volleyball League (PVL) president Ricky Palou defended the league’s players who failed to play in Monday’s 'Clash of Heroes' benefit volleyball game and are now in danger of losing their spots in the national teams.
Palou on Monday denied that it was the PVL which prevented their players from playing in the Clash of Heroes, saying the players and team owners were not formally informed ahead of time about the benefit event that also served as a tryout for the national teams.
“The problem here is they just want to pull out the player every time they want. Tignan mo SBP (Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas), they talked to the teams and the PBA months before they formed the national team,” said Palou.
“And then, they will start saying we’re blocking their players. The way they’re doing this is wrong,” Palou added.
[See Valdez, fellow no-shows hurt chances of making it to PH teams, says Cayco]
PVL players Alyssa Valdez, Grethcel Soltones, Myla Pablo, and Elaine Kasilag were not allowed by their teams to play in the Clash of Heroes, although head coach Francis Vicente said they are still welcome to join the practices before the final 18 players are announced on Friday.
National men’s team coach Sammy Acaylar, however, said the no-shows in the men’s match - namely Cignal players Peter Torres, Mark Alfafara, Bonjomar Castel, Herschel Ramos, Erikson Ramos, Lorenzo Capate Jr. and Anjo Pertierra - are already out of the running for PH team spots.
Palou said the PVL teams are in the middle of a tournament and couldn't pull out their players for the Clash of Heroes game.
“(The LVPI) doesn’t give schedules or write their teams (for) permission. You don’t write the team one week before the event. Dapat may planning. There is an ongoing tournament," said Palou.
"If they had done this earlier, mapo-program siguro ito. Pero wala, basta laro ka dito. The team owners, kawawa. It’s not that we don’t want to lend players. It’s the fact that they should give us time to adjust,” said Palou.
[See Vicente gives Clash of Heroes no-shows one-week ultimatum]
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