After making waves with their move from the Philippine Superliga to the Shakey’s V-League, Pocari Sweat, formerly the Philips Gold Lady Slammers, named the Ateneo Lady Eagles’ revolutionary mentor Tai Bundit their head coach for the upcoming Shakey’s V-League Season.
Bundit began coaching duties yesterday at the Blue Eagle Gym in Ateneo.
“Tai is a very good friend. He generously volunteered to coach my team for FREE. When given an opportunity to have one of the best coaches in South East Asia to coach your team for free, there is only one answer: Hell yeah when do you wanna start. To be honest, I think he saw blue and white and thought it was Ateneo,” Pocari’s team manager Atty. Eric Ty told Tiebreaker Times via SMS.
Bannered by former De La Salle University Lady Spikers Michele Gumabao and Melissa Gohing, and former National University Lady Bulldog Myla Pablo, Pocari Sweat adds a proven coach to steer their championship campaign. Adding Bundit came just in time after former head coach Francis Vicente decided to leave and focus on building the University of the East Lady Warriors.
For the SVL’s first conference, however, Bundit will only be able to coach through the first half of the tournament.
“It’s unfortunate though that Coach Tai has to go back to Thailand on May 16 for a month to spend time with his family. Also his July is packed with Ateneo competing in Singapore for the ASEAN University Games, but then again since we got him for free who are we to argue with the way he budgets his time,” Ty explained adding that for the second conference, Bundit will take over full time.
Bundit led the Ateneo Lady Eagles to the UAAP Season 76 and Season 77 championships. Season 78 saw his Lady Eagles reach the Finals again only to succumb to the De La Salle University Lady Spikers.
Ty hopes that adding Bundit will also bring his franchise its first ever championship.
“I’ve never seen a bunch of people so eager to practice through pain and exhaustion,” Ty gushed about Bundit’s rigorous training and motivational style.
