Joshua Retamar vowed that Alas Pilipinas will come back stronger following their 10th-place finish in the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup for Men.
After going winless in the group phase, the Philippines picked up its first victory over Indonesia with a four-set triumph, 25-23, 23-25, 25-14, 25-22, in the 9th-12th classification match, advancing to the battle for ninth place.
However, the Filipinos failed to surpass their previous finish in the tournament, falling to 10th place for the second consecutive time after a four-set loss, 20-25, 25-23, 22-25, 20-25, to the Khonhan Amornthep-led Thailand, which was last year’s champion.
The three-time Spikers’ Turf Best Setter rued the team’s lack of preparation but remained confident that the Philippines would bounce back in their next tournament.
He also emphasized the need for better communication between the players.
(C) AVC
“We fell short because we had a short time training, but we’ll come back stronger,” Retamar said in an interview with the Bahrain Volleyball Association.
“The level of play here in the AVC is good; they’re strong. We also need to build our communication, our patterns in blocks,” he added.
Retamar also expressed his utmost gratitude to the Filipino fans in Bahrain, who religiously showed their support for Alas Pilipinas throughout the eight-day tournament.
“First of all, I would like to thank all the Filipinos supporting us. We’re very happy because of the support,” said the former National University star.
Despite posting an overall record of 1-3 in the tournament, the Philippines still showed a lot of promise after keeping in step with Asian powerhouses China and Bahrain in the group stage.
Alas Pilipinas is gearing up for the country’s hosting of the 2024 FIVB World Championship, with the AVC Challenge Cup serving as the start of its buildup for the world meet.
