WOMEN’S national volleyball team head coach Shaq Delos Santos is keeping his full attention to the country’s medal quest in the 30th Southeast Asian Games rather than wasting his time on the social media bashing that he’s been receiving.
“Okay lang, kasi una hindi naman ako nagbabasa, Pangalawa kahit isang tambak na yung nagme-message sa akin wala akong nababasa kasi hindi ako nagbabasa niyan and hindi ako yung taong tipong papatol sa ganyan,” Delos Santos told reporters after Petron’s three-set conquest of F2 Logistics on Saturday at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.
Delos Santos received a lot of criticism from volleyball fans with the way he rotated his players and on how he called the shots for the national team during the country’s first leg campaign in the ASEAN Grand Prix in Thailand last week.
“I think mas kailangan ko i-prepare yung sarili ko sa kung ano yung trabaho ko kaysa pumatol sa ganyang mga klaseng (comments) kasi kahit kailan never naging effective yan,” he said. “Yung plus factor nun matututo ka na lumaban, i-push yung sarili namin sa mga sinasabi nila.”

Delo Santos and player Ces Molina got a lot of lewd and vicious comments from volleyball fans, while the hashtag #ShaqResign also topped the Philippine trending list on twitter Sunday last week just as the country won a bronze in the inaugural tournament by beating Vietnam in five sets.
But the social media outburst is none of Delos Santos’s business as he didn’t waste time reading comments and tweets from bashers.
“Para sa akin thankful ako binigyan ako ni Lord ng mahabang pasensya kasi nakakaya kong labanan yung mga ganyang klase,” said the national coach.
“Sa akin kasi hinahayaan ko lang yan kasi parang sa amin part yan nung tinanggap namin yung trabaho so sige lang kung ano yung gusto nilang gawin,” he added. “Pero huwag din sila masyadong maging complacent baka mamaya matsambahan sila ang balik niyan mas worse pa.”
The former Far Eastern University player-turned-coach already saw this coming since he took over the coaching job for the national team last year.
“Kasi ako naman tinanggap ko ‘to hindi dahil lang gusto ko maging coach ng national team kasi alam kong kasama na yan sa mangyayari,” he said.
The Petron coach is glad the national team members are strong and keeping their focus despite the criticisms that surrounded the team.
“Yan din yung sinasabi namin sa buong team kasi mas alam natin kung ano yung tinatakbo ng buong team, yung magiging resulta, and kung paano namin tinatrabaho yun so yun lang yung importante sa amin,” he said.
Amidst all the bashing being received by the national team, Delos Santos vowed to continue doing his job in bringing out the best from the Filipina spikers, who are seeking to end a 14-year medal drought in the SEA Games.
“Sa akin hangga’t maaari magawa namin ng maayos yung trabaho namin and kahit anong maging result nito, bibigay ko yung best ko para wala akong pagsisihan hanggang dulo,” Delos Santos said.
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