DANTE Alinsunurin is honored to continue helping Philippine men's volleyball reach greater heights after he was retained as the national head coach under the newly-formed volleyball federation.
The Philippine National Volleyball Federation Inc (PNVF) on Thursday officially retained Alinsunurin and assistants Sherwin Meneses and Dong Dela Cruz - the same staff that led the men's team to a historic silver medal in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
"Siyempre nagpapasalamat ako at nabigyan ulit ako ng chance na maipagpatuloy ang system at program ko sa volleyball," Alinsunurin told SPIN.ph.
"Mas maganda din ang opportunity kasi long term ang plan para sa team at the same time malaking factor din na maretain ang coaching staff ko at may plan na madagdagan para makatulong sa team," he added.
The four-time UAAP champion coach of the National University Bulldogs and his assistant coaches were tapped in a similar role by the defunct Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas Inc. two years ago.
With the PNVF eyeing a long-term program for all its national teams, Alinsunurin bared that the men's team will hold by-invitation bubble tryouts to form a 25-man pool.
"May plan na dagdagan ang team composition in alignment sa long-term program ng PNVF," he said. "May plan na mag conduct ng bubble tryout pero by invitation. Kasama sa mga kino-consider na mapadalan ng invitation ay yung mga players form North Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao."
The players of the silver-winning SEA Games team bannered by Marck Espejo, Bryan Bagunas and skipper John Vic De Guzman, will also be part of the tryouts as requested by the National Teams Commission.
"Ang suggestion ng National Team Commision mag-conduct ng tryout kaya sumunod lang ako sa sinabi nila sa akin. Pero by invitations lang," Alinsunurin said.
"For sure the silver medalists will also be invited," National Teams Commission chairman Tony Boy Liao said.
Liao said women's team coach Odjie Mamon will also form a 25-man pool but he has yet to bare the details of the bubble tryouts as PNVF awaits the go signal of the Philippine Sports Commission and the IATF.
Alinsunurin is happy that the men's national team is finally taking a big step forward in the buildup for the Hanoi 31st SEA Games after a year of uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Sobrang positive, given na may vaccine na at gumagawa na rin ng paraan ang PSC at PNVF para makapag-start ulit ang volleyball sa Pilipinas," he said.
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