While much of the local volleyball community was up in arms over the country backing out of AVC-sanctioned tournaments, Women’s National Volleyball Team head coach Shaq Delos Santos points out the conflicts that would have arisen had the Philippines participated.
Speaking with the media, the Petron Blaze Spikers head coach raised that one of the tournaments – the Asian Women’s Club Championship – is scheduled from April 27 to May 5, and would have overlapped with the 2019 Philippine Superliga Grand Prix playoffs.
“Sa ngayon kasi ‘yung AVC, negative siya kung titignan natin. Hindi mo puwedeng i-pull out ‘yung players, especially ‘pag tinignan mo ‘yung schedule. Parang malapit na ‘yung quarterfinals,” he thought.
“So kung kukunin mo ‘yung mga players, walang papayag na club team maglaro para ibigay para maglaro doon kasi, siyempre, kahit kami ‘yung team namin hindi rin ganoon kadali kasi mas maganda na ‘yung labanan.
“Nag-decide din kami na ‘wag na mag-join kasi ayaw namin na maapektuhan nung team yung PSL,” he furthered.
As for the other tournaments in which the Philippines declined to participate, Delos Santos will have to talk to the Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas Inc. officials. He does, however, agree with the federation’s notion to focus on training camps to better prepare for the Southeast Asian Games in December.
“Actually, kahit hindi kami makasali doon sa tournament ang isang goal namin is yung training camp kasi mas magbe-benefit din yung team doon. Mas maitatama namin kung ano ‘yung kulang, mas mapeprepare namin yung team,” he expressed.
“Siguro mas madadagdagan lang ‘yung camp namin if ever ‘di matuloy. So mas aayusin na lang namin yung magiging program ng team.”
