Manny V. Pangilinan
Supporting a number of athletic endeavors for youth development and sports excellence in the country has been the advocacy of the MVP (Manny V. Pangilinan) group.
Following the much-celebrated silver finish by the Smart Gilas basketball team at the FIBA Asia championship held last month and the gold and silver medals earned by the national Taekwando team in the World Youth Championship in China recently, another team is set to hit the international stage to make its mark.
The Philippine Volleyball squad, composed of the country’s volleyball elites from top collegiate teams and the Philippine Super Liga, was introduced Friday at a press conference held at Aracama in Bonifacio Global City.
The team will be backed by PLDT HOME Fibr, in its shot for sporting glory in Thailand for the Asian Volleyball Championship (AVC), happening on Sept. 13-21.
Gary Dujali, VP and head of PLDT HOME Fibr broadband, proudly boasts of the newly formed squad being “the most powerful team for volleyball.”
Dujali noted, “We see great potential for sports excellence in these athletes. We are hoping they’ll make us proud and give us the recognition we haven’t had for a long time.”
One With Heart
Team captain Angeli Tabaquero, an open spiker from UST who now plays for the Petron Lady Spikers, has high hopes for the team to make the country proud.
“Ang goal namin ay ipakita na maaasahan kami. It’s a challenge for us na ma-experience ’yung international scene,” Tabaquero said. “We’re very happy to have the full support of our fellow Filipinos plus the support from private companies like PLDT. Sana ito na. Sana tuluy-tuloy na. I can’t wait for us to be back on top. Gusto kong ipakit sa ibang bansa na ito kami, may ibubuga kami.”
Michelle Datuin, formerly one of De La Salle Lady Spikers, on the other hand, dismissed competition among the group given that they come from different schools.
“Masaya sa team kasi sa totoo lang, walang personalan. Kung may angasan man, sa court lang ’yon, sa labas friends kami lahat,” she stated.
“We may come from different schools pero bawat isa sa amin, may puso at lalaban kami,” she added. “We have our bullets with us. Pinaghandaan namin ito so laban na!” Datuin, for a time, served as a courtside reporter in Shakey’s V-League matches.
The rest of the team are Faye Guevara, Wenneth Eulalio, Sandra delos Santos, Aiza Maizo-Pontillas, Honey Royse Tubino, Analyn Joy Benito, Pau Soriano, Rosemarie Vargas, Lizlee Ann Gata-Pantone, Angela Benting, May Jennifer Macatuno, Angelique Beatrice Dionela, Arianne Argarin, Chie Saet and Danika Gendrauli.
The members of the Philippine Volleyball Squad for the Asian Volleyball Championship
SEA Games Next
Head Coach Ernesto Pamilar believes that the future of Philippine volleyball is dependent not only on the players themselves but also on the developments and financial support they get. On that note, he thanked PLDT HOME Fibr for its support to the team.
Pamilar also expressed in the same press conference their goal of joining the Southeast Asian Games – after eight years of absence.
He said, “This (AVC) is a tough tournament. Our main goal is to gain experience through this international league. We’re not aiming for the championship, but we will give it our all. We are aiming for a slot in the top eight, since it is a requirement of the PSC (Philippine Sports Commission) that the team makes it to the top eight so the girls can be sent to the Southeast Asian Games. With the team’s determination, I know we can (do it).”
According to the release, this year’s AVC will have 16 participating countries. This will be the eighth time that the Philippines is joining the prestigious league.
The Philippine Volleyball squad’s first round of games, to be held at the Gym Mall Korat, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, is scheduled on Sept. 14, versus China; Sept. 15, versus; Iran and Sept. 16, versus China. (To view the players’ profiles and schedule of games, visit pldthome.com)
Team-up of the ‘powerful’ eyes international victory
Source: Mb.com.ph (September 07, 2013 at 10:26AM)
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