ALAS Pilipinas’ bronze-medal finish just weighed much more for each member of the newly-formed national team.
After winning a historic bronze medal in the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup for Women at the expense of Australia, each member of the Alas team — from the players to the coaching staff — were rewarded with a P200,000 bonus.
READ Alas repeats over Aussies for first-ever AVC Challenge Cup podium finish
The donor of such a generous gift? Senator Bong Go.
Alas' cash incentive was given through the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) as part of Sen. Go's initiative as the Senate Chairman of the Committee on Sports.
The nationals learned about the news in the middle of their on-court celebrations at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum after a straight-sets beatdown of the Aussies in the bronze-medal match.
"(Senator Bong Go) expressed intent to provide financial support through the PSC amounting to 200k to each qualified athlete and coach of Alas Pilipinas," the senator's staff said.
Joyous scenes then followed as Alas players and staff members jumped up and down in jubilation.
The hastily-assembled Alas side captured its first medal in an AVC-sanctioned tournament since the national volleyball federation was established 63 years ago.
Alas’ semifinals appearance alone will go down in history as the first for any Philippine team — either men or women — to reach the Final Four of a continental tournament.
This was also the country’s 16th international podium in women’s volleyball and first in half a decade since copping a pair of third-place finishes at the 2019 Asean Grand Prix in Thailand and the Philippines.
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