OWA Retamar is about to share the floor with some of international volleyball’s biggest names, and will be the first Filipino to ever do so in Europe.
The 26-year-old Alas Pilipinas Men setter has signed with Azerbaijan club Ordu VK, placing the Filipino among a constellation international stars led by Italian icon Ivan Zaytsev.
Zaytsev, the Italian great of Russian origin, brings with him a resumé stacked with medals from the Olympics, European Championship, and Volleyball Nations League, among other major competitions, in a decorated international career.
Retamar will also share Ordu colors with Finnish ace Lauri Kerminen, who has established himself as one of Europe’s top liberos after spending the last 11 years competing in the Russian Super League.
And the international flavor hardly ends there.
Ordu also brought in Scandinavian-Argentinian setter Axel Jacobsen, one of the world’s elite playmakers, along with Czech winger Michal Finger and Cuban ace Salvador Hidalgo Oliva as part of a major roster buildup.
That leaves Retamar surrounded by a wealth of experience, as he takes another significant step in his own career abroad.
Raving about Retamar
Ordu, for its part, sees the Filipino setter as more than just another addition to its star-laden roster.
“Joshua Retamar's role in the star-rich [club] will attract special attention. The young setter's fast play, fighting determination, and desire to win can bring new dynamics to the team, who will continue his development around experienced players,” the club said.
“This transfer is not only for today's goals, but also one of the strategic steps directed towards the future of the club.”
The Azerbaijan stint will be Retamar’s second international foray after a brief run with Cambodian club Visakha in the Sar Kheng Cup earlier this year.
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