AS far as ‘what-ifs’ and ‘what-could’ve-beens’ go, Alas Pilipinas Women captain Jia de Guzman has one in mind.
SPIN.ph asked the 30-year-old national team skipper on the competitive gap that separates Philippine volleyball from reaching the yardstick set by powerhouse nations like Thailand and Vietnam.
It wasn’t just a matter of skill or chemistry that has set the difference over the years.
READ: Jia de Guzman confirms she's returning to play for Creamline
For Kapitana Jia, the country’s infamous eight-year hiatus in international play from 2005 onwards amid political turmoil in the sport’s local leadership left Philippine volleyball far behind when every other nation was taking big steps forward.
“It’s everything that we could’ve had if we were continuously joining international tournaments and exposed to that kind of level of volleyball,” de Guzman said.
“if I remember correctly, we didn’t join any international tournaments for a decade bago nag-restart yung volleyball program ng Pilipinas.
“That’s a decade of other countries evolving in the sport and us lagging behind. If we were there, things would’ve been different now.”
Fresh off a historic bronze medal in the 2005 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Bacolod, the Philippines did not see action in international play following a tumultuous leadership shift from the embattled Philippine Volleyball Federation (PVF) to the Philippine Amateur Volleyball Association (PAVA).
A long-overdue return to the international stage took place in the 2013 Asian Women's Volleyball Championship where they finished 12th in the 16-team field.
Making up for lost time
As Philippine volleyball makes great strides in international play, de Guzman isn’t letting the past define a future of vast opportunities for the sport.
And just because some teams have grown faster than others, doesn’t mean that the Philippines can’t catch them soon enough.
“Since past is past, what do we do now moving forward? We keep sticking to the program because if we do, I have no doubts that one day we will reach that level also,” the two-time AVC Nations Cup best setter said.
“Hindi naman ibig sabihin na nauuna sila, hindi sila mahahabol. They recognize that the Philippines is growing and we have to take advantage of that.
“The fact that they say that, it means that we are starting to become a threat. That means also that we have to continue what we’re doing right now. We cannot stop talaga.”
Grassroots matters
For the immediate future, de Guzman said it’s about keeping national team rosters as intact as possible with a steady stream of fresh talent.
But in the long-term, far beyond this rebuilding stage, building a competitive volleyball program begins from the grassroots level, she said.
Jia knows it’s a process that will take time. As such, a comprehensive developmental program nationwide should begin to take significant strides soon enough.
“We see the growth of not just the girls in the team, but we see the growth of a full country’s program and magli-link yan isa-isa eh, from grassroots pataas,” de Guzman explained.
“The girls, or the athletes sa baba, will have something to fight for, to play at the national team in the future. That’s something that other countries have had over us for years, for decades, and hopefully, maabot din natin yun.
“Thailand, Vietnam, even Indonesia, aabutin natin ‘yun as long as we stick to what we’re doing now.”
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