Bella Belen stressed the importance of playing with ‘puso’ following Alas Pilipinas Women’s straight-set defeat to defending champion Thailand in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games on Thursday night.
Despite showing flashes of fight against the powerhouse Thais, the Philippines fell 11–25, 17–25, 16–25 to the home squad at the Indoor Stadium Huamark, putting them in a must-win situation against Singapore on Friday.
Belen highlighted the pride of representing the country and the responsibility it carries, saying Alas Pilipinas must give their all on the court and quickly regroup ahead of their crucial match against Singapore tomorrow at 6:30 PM, with their hopes of reaching the semifinals riding on the outcome.
“I’m very happy. Iba pa rin talaga kapag nire-represent ka ng country. Iba pa rin yung pride na dinadala — hindi na name mo, hindi na school or club team yung dala mo, buong Pilipinas,” said the Capital1 rookie.
“So kailangan talagang maglaro nang may puso.
“Kailangan namin gawin yun for the next games, kailangan namin ibigay lahat ng alam namin. Kumbaga, kami yung pinadala dito, kami yung napiling atleta, so malaking bagay for us na mag-perform kami,” Belen continued.
Belen admitted the team still played stiff in their debut, particularly in the opening set, as they adjusted to the pace and pressure of facing a seasoned squad like Thailand, which has won the last 14 editions of the tournament.
Despite the loss, the three-time UAAP champion said the team has plenty to build on, particularly after staying competitive with the Thais in the second and third sets.
“I think masyado pa kaming stiff gumalaw. I mean, I believe talaga sa team namin na kahit hindi ‘man naging maganda yung naging outcome, alam kong kayang bumawi for the next games. At ayun, sana maka-adjust agad since may game na uli tomorrow,” Belen said.
“Siguro yung positive is may mga times na maganda yung ginagalaw namin against Thailand. May mga times na dumikit yung score. So siguro kailangan lang namin i-maintain yung gano’n — kung paano kami magtatrabaho sa loob ng court, kung paano namin ma-maintain yung composure namin.”
Despite the tough outing, Belen emphasized that the team cannot dwell on missed opportunities.
While they would have liked to secure a win over the defending champions, the focus now shifts to learning from mistakes and making the necessary adjustments ahead of their next match. Confidence and trust within the squad will be crucial as they prepare for their clash with Singapore.
Belen said the players must believe in themselves and in each other, correcting their lapses in tomorrow morning’s training to ensure they can rise to the challenge and perform under pressure — just as they will need to against Singapore.
“Hindi naman isang game lang sana ang mapapanalo namin. Sana pati itong Thailand din pero hindi tayo pinalad. Pero syempre, for tomorrow’s game, kailangan mag-adjust kami agad kung ano yung mga lapses namin today,” Belen said.
“Kailangan namin mabago sa training tomorrow morning bago mag-game. Kailangan namin mas magtiwala sa sarili namin, kasi walang kwenta yung sistema kung kami mismo, hindi kami naniniwala. Siguro confidence din sa bawat isa na kaya namin sumabay sa mga ganitong game.”
