Local Olympic officials want women's volleyball team to bring home SEA Games medal

Joey Romasanta, the Philippine Olympic Committee spokesman and former president of Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas Inc., says a podium finish by the women's volleyball team in the SEA Games will be a huge leap for a squad looking to qualify for the Asian Games next year. Photo by Arvin Lim, ABS-CBN Sports

MANILA – The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) wants the women’s national volleyball team to get a medal in the Southeast Asian Games in August.

Joey Romasanta, the POC spokesman and former president of Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas Inc., said a podium finish would boost the team's campaign of making it to the 2018 Asian Games.

“Ang gusto naman natin mag-medal finish tayo of any color sa volleyball sa Southeast Asian Games,” said Romasanta in the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) forum on Tuesday. “And hopefully concentrate our effort into meriting a slot in the Asian Games.”

• READ: Francis Vicente wants 'scientific' approach to volleyball tryouts

The Philippines has won 6 gold, 3 silver and 4 bronze medals in the SEA Games, behind Thailand's 12-2-2 gold-silver-bronze count. The last time the national team finished in the top 3 was at the 2005 Manila Games when it won bronze.

In 2015, Alyssa Valdez, Dindin Santiago-Manabat, Jaja Santiago as well as Aby Marano, Rachel Anne Daquis, Jovelyn Gonzaga, Denden Lazaro, Jia Morado, Bea De Leon, Rhea Dimaculangan, Grethcel Soltones and Maika Ortiz represented the Philippines in its first volleyball competition in the SEA Games since 2005. 

Although the team didn’t reach the semifinals, it gave the locals a taste of the competition in the Asean level.

“Kung matagal tayong nawala sa SEA Games, mas matagal tayong nawala sa Asian Games, so malaking bagay na yun na mailagay natin ang Philippine volleyball where it should (have been) years ago,” Romasanta said.

Acting LVPI president Peter Cayco believes a SEA Games medal finish for the Philippine women’s team is “doable.”

“Ang aming assessment yung women's, magpo-podium finish,” he said, for his part.

Tasked to assemble the 16-player team is newly appointed women’s national team coach Francis Vicente.

Vicente, who discovered the likes of volleyball stars Valdez and Kim Fajardo, assures he won’t play favorites in selecting members of the national team.

Every aspirant, even Valdez, will have to go through the tryouts, scheduled January 28-31 in Manila, he said.

"If she really wants to play for the national team kailangan niya pumunta sa tryouts," said Vicente, of Valdez who is currently in Thailand to train with the 3BB Nakornnont club.

Vicente, who was Valdez's high-school coach, said the former Ateneo superstar can also join the tryouts in Cebu and Davao in February if she fails to make it to the Manila tryouts.

"Ayaw ko na kukunin ko siya na, 'O halika rito 'wag ka na mag- tryout.' Unfair naman 'yun sa iba."

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