BRAZILIAN coach Souza de Brito said he cannot wait to go here in the Philippines and help the national women’s volleyball team build a sustained winning culture.
The 54-year-old De Brito was assigned this week by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) to help work on the country’s women’s team program on the request of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation, Inc. (PNVF).
“I’m very happy to have this chance to come to the Philippines, it’s an honor,” the coach said in a statement. “I love volleyball and I love the passion Filipinos have for volleyball. They love the sport so much — and there are a lot of fans.”
Mr. De Brito, a medal-winning Olympian in the sport, is to work with the national team coaches, who include women’s team coach Odjie Mamon and assistants Tai Bundit and Grace Antigua, drawing from his vast experience in high-level competitions.
“I will do my best to help Philippine volleyball and I expect to see good players getting involved in the project,” he said. “We will try to get the best from what we can do and make a new page in history.”
Among the competitions the women’s team is eyeing is the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam in November where it will try to come up with a podium finish.
Mr. De Brito said the process will not be easy but he expressed his commitment to do whatever he can to elevate Philippine volleyball to another plane.
“Each country or continent has its own way of playing volleyball and it’s impossible to change everything. But I’m looking forward to making the team stronger and making the athletes understand the sport better. We all have to work altogether so we can see what kind of volleyball we can produce,” said the coach, who will be coming off a stint as coach of Brazilian club Clube Duque de Caxias.
“We build a new one, a new order,” he added.
The PNVF, to further shore up its national team program, recently conducted tryouts for both indoor and beach volleyball in a “bubble” inside the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority in Zambales. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo