ATTENTION will be on the national women’s volleyball team after the withdrawal of Gilas Pilipinas from the Asian Games on August 18 to September 2 in Jakarta, Indonesia.
But head coach Shaq delos Santos doesn’t want to put burden on the team with people’s expectations.
Four days before the nationals fly to Japan for a two-week training camp, Delos Santos wants to keep the team focused on the task at hand.
“Ako wala akong masasabi doon sa ganyang sitwasyon na walang basketball tapos kami ang ipapadala,” he said on Wednesday during training at Arellano University gym in Taft Avenue, Manila.
“So kami, hopefully, mas marami pa kaming mapasaya pa na tao doon sa gagawin namin and hopefully suportahan nila kami,” he added.
Instead of looking at the pressure of being flag bearers, the veteran mentor is hopeful on what lies ahead as the Philippines ends a 36-year absence in the Asian Games.
“Ako, sa totoo lang, ayaw kong isipin na talagang kami ang mag-aano (aabangan) kasi syempre sa amin first time (in 36 years),” he said.
“Sa amin kasi ilalaban namin hanggang dulo and then ang expectation hindi naman namin makokontrol ang mga tao kung ano ang pwedeng sabihin nila sa amin,” he added.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
