The Philippines will be represented by three teams – two for women and one for men – in the Asian Women’s and Men’s Club Volleyball Championship tournaments in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, next month.
The teams, playing under the Rebisco and Choco Mucho names, were presented to the board of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) in a virtual meeting on Tuesday.
The PNVF announced the composition of the squads following consultations with the national team think tank, composed of Brazilian consultant-coach Jorge Edson Souza de Brito and national team coaches Odjie Mamon (women) and Dante Alinsunurin (men) and PNVF National Team Commission chairman Tonyboy Liao.
The composition of the teams was unanimously approved by the PNVF board.
Federation chief Ramon Suzara said with the naming of the players, they hope to get the ball rolling for a sustainable development of the national team program, with an eye on, among other things, doing well in competitions immediately at hand.
“With these club championships, we are putting in harness the national team program aimed at three major international competitions in 2022,” Mr. Suzara said. “These are the Asian Games in Huangzhou, Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam and the Asian Senior Women’s Championship that we are hosting in May next year.”
The national teams are currently training in a semi-bubble at the Aquamarine Gym in Lipa City, Batangas.
Mr. Souza de Brito will coach the Rebisco women’s team which has veteran Aby Maraño along with Eya Laure, Jema Galanza, Faith Nisperos, Dindin Santiago-Manabat, Mhicaela Belen, Imee Hernandez, Ivy Lacsina, Rhea Dimaculangan, Kamille Cal, Jennifer Nierva and Bernadette Pepito.
The Choco Mucho women’s team, meanwhile, will be coached by Mr. Mamon, with Iris Tolenada as skipper. The team also has Kalei Mau, MJ Phillips, Tin Tiamzon, Kat Tolentino, Mylene Paat, Kianna Dy, Ria Meneses, Majoy Baron, Dell Palomata, Deanna Wong and Dawn Macandili.
For the Rebisco men’s squad, Mr. Alinsunurin is the coach with John Vic de Guzman (team captain), Jessie Lopez, Ysay Marasigan, Rex Intal, Mark Alfafara, Nico Almendras, Kim Malabunga, Ish Polvorosa, Francis Saura, Manuel Sumanguid, Josh Retamar, Jao Umandal, Ricky Marcos and JP Bugaoan making up the team.
The women’s teams are scheduled to leave on Sept. 27 in time for the tournament set from Oct. 1 to 7. The men’s squad, on the other hand, is flying to Thailand on Oct. 4 for its own tournament scheduled from Oct. 8 to 15.
All three squads seeing action in Thailand are supported by the Philippine Sports Commission and Rebisco. – Michael Angelo S. Murillo