PHILIPPINE National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) president Tats Suzara bared the men’s national team is set to return in the Asian Games after 48 years as part of the sport’s busy 2022 calendar.
Philippine volleyball 2022 schedule
Suzara said the men’s volleyball team, which won the historic silver medal in the 2019 SEA Games, is qualified to join the delegation in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou and Zhejiang, China in September, while he hopes that the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) would also include the women’s team and the beach volleyball squads.
“I think based on the criteria they’re already in,” he said in the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum. “We already received the entry form by number from the POC yesterday. We are filling out that form.“
“Ang women’s team, we are hoping the POC will approve pero kahit kami magbayad kasi we need more matches. We are ready for that, we have money for travel but the POC knows our men's and women's volleyball and beach volley, the bronze medalist of SEA Games, have to participate in the Asian Games. It will help us to play more matches para makatulong sa pag-improve ng national teams.”
The national men’s volleyball team last played in the Asiad in 1974 Tehran, Iran games, while the Filipina Spikers placed eighth out of 11 teams in Jakarta last 2018.
Besides the Asian Games, the four national volleyball teams are seeing action in the 2022 Southeast Games in Hanoi, Vietnam in May and the PNVF is set to host three international events next year including the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) men and women in June, AVC Asian Cup in August and World Beach Volleyball Tour in December.
The PNVF president said the Filipino players overseas like Kalei Mau, who will play in Athletes Unlimited in United States next year, Japan V.League imports Jaja Santiago, Marck Espejo and Bryan Bagunas as well as Nakhon Ratchasima reinforcement Mylene Paat are committed to return to the country by May to play in the SEA Games.
He added the Premier Volleyball League’s calendar and their Champions League are following their calendar to give way for the national team period.
However, UAAP and NCAA have different schedules as they eye their respective returns early 2022.
The women’s national team’s youth brigade Eya Laure, Faith Nisperos, Mhicaela Belen, Kamille Cal, Ivy Lacsina, Jennifer Nierva, Imee Hernandez and Bernadett Pepito could miss the SEA Games if there will be conflict with UAAP’s schedule but Suzara assured coaches Jorge Edson Souza de Brito and Odjie Mamon are ready to adjust with the 25-member pool and could add two to four more players.
“They may not be able to play in the SEA Games. I told the coaches to be ready especially in the women’s, if they cannot join sa women’s then (they can join) sa Asian Cup and Asian Games. The coaches know who will be in and who will be out for the SEA Games, Asian Cup and Asian Games. Maybe we can add two or four more players. No more tryouts,” he said.
Suzara said the men’s team will hold its training camp in Italy and the women’s will prepare in Brazil before the SEA Games.“Hindi na puro Asia kasi dati puro Japan and Thailand. I want them to experience to have a training camp in South America and Europe para maiba naman,” he said.
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