THE Philippines’s medal prospect in volleyball at the 28th Southeast Asian Games brightened up after host Singapore opted to give two bronze medals—instead of the losing semifinalists fighting it out for a podium finish.
Longtime volleyball official Tony Boy Liao, also the commissioner of the Shakey’s V-League, one of the major stakeholders of the Larong Volleyball ng Pilipinas Inc. (LVPI), told Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at Shakey’s Malate that with the new rule, chances are a medal could be snatched from volleyball.
“We now have a bigger chance of duplicating the bronze medal we bagged a decade ago,” said Liao in the forum presented by San Miguel Corp., Accel, Shakey’s and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.
The Philippines clinched bronze in the 2005 Games the country hosted. But no national volleyball team—men or women—was sent to the Sea Games after that, until this Singapore edition. It was also in Singapore in 1993 when the Philippines won its last Sea Games gold medal.
With the popularity of volleyball—particularly women—reaching great heights recently, eyes are on the national women’s team which is bracketed in Group B with Indonesia, Vietnam, and Malaysia in Singapore. Defending champion Thailand, Myanmar and Singapore are in Group A.
“We’re going for the bronze, that’s our realistic target,” said LVPI Secretary-General Ricky Palou, also president of V-League organizer Sports Vision, who joined Liao and Sports Vision Chairman Moying Martelino in the forum.
“It’s tough, but we just told them [players] to continue working hard,” Palou added.
Image credits: Kevin de la Cruz