In what felt like a dream debut, Al-Bukharie Sali showcased poise and delivered quality minutes in his first official outing with Alas Pilipinas Men at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand.
The Philippines were struggling to pull away from Myanmar in the first set when head coach Angiolino Frigoni decided to call on the 20-year-old Sali from the bench to replace the struggling Leo Ordiales.
Sali made every minute count. He contributed on both offense and defense, helping the Nationals secure the opening-set win and ultimately power through to a 25-23, 25-20, 25-21 sweep of Myanmar on Friday.
“Sobrang saya. Ayun nga, first time ko rin makalaro diyan [sa SEA Games] eh. Sobrang parang, alam mo, ‘yung pangarap ko, unti-unti nakukuha,” said the University of Santo Tomas standout, who was the only new addition to the squad for the biennial meet.
The pride of Tawi-Tawi opened his account with a cross-court hit during a 7-1 rally. He then capped the same run with an emphatic block on Ya Htike Wai, giving the Philippines a crucial 22-21 lead that eventually allowed them to secure the opening set.
Alas Men head coach Angiolino Frigoni praised Sali for making the most of his limited playing time. He noted how Sali’s contributions energized the team and helped shift momentum in their favor.
“Sali, who has never played with us, did a good job and had good defense,” said the Italian coach.
“We took a… ‘til the last part of the first set to adjust. What we did in the final of the first set is what we normally do. For our defense and counterattacks it is very good, but today not,” he added.
Despite the pressure of his SEA Games debut, Sali said he simply wanted to help the team in any way he could — and to enjoy every moment on the court.
“Mindset ko kasi nun, gagawin ko lahat ng maitutulong ko sa team eh. Ibibigay ko kung ano ‘yung pwede kong matulong sa team. Ano lang, ginawa ko lang ‘yung pwede kong itulong sa team tapos ‘yun, inenjoy ko rin,” he shared.
“Pero nape-pressure rin ako kasi pa-end game na ‘yun eh. Ginawa ko lang ‘yung trabaho ko,” Sali added.
For Sali, the experience became even more special as he got to share the court with idols like Bryan Bagunas and Marck Espejo — players he had only watched during their silver-medal run against Indonesia at the 2019 SEA Games in Manila.
From simply watching Bagunas and Espejo in 2019, Sali now finds himself not only playing alongside them but also facing Indonesia on Saturday. And the matchup will be even more memorable with the chance to go up against his idol and fellow opposite, Rivan Nurmulki.
“Sobrang ano ko rin ‘yun, kasi dati pinapanood ko lang sila nung 2019 SEA Games against Indonesia. Parang sobrang na-starstruck ako,” said Sali.
“Sobrang excited po kasi parang si Rivan, Idol ko rin ‘yun eh. Siya ‘yung pinapanood ko sa Youtube kung paano ‘yung playstyle niya, parang ginagaya ko rin. Isa rin siya sa mga ginagaya ko,” he continued.
“Andun pa rin ‘yung kaba, pero lalaban pa rin ako. Gagawin ko pa rin kung ano ‘yung matutulong ko sa team.”
#WATCH: ENJOYING THE MOMENT
Alas Men newcomer Al-Bukharie Sali made sure to deliver when Coach Angiolino Frigoni called his name against Myanmar 🏐 🇵🇭#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/GEWliz1ggJ
📹 @_joaquiflores /Tiebreaker Times#Sambansa pic.twitter.com/vhtmo1IuSv
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) December 13, 2025
