The National Team is a choice

THERE’S always a storm brewing when a national team for a sport is assembled or when it’s not formed.

Percy Della’s Inquirer column yesterday discussed the refusal of the Philippine Volleyball Federation (PVF) to field a national squad for the South East Asian Qualification women’s tournament in Vietnam come June 14 to 16, despite having close to $7,000 seed money from the Asian Volleyball Confederation.

Given the frenzied popularity of volleyball nowadays, it seems a natural fit for Filipino players to participate in international competitions.  Just getting the bulk of the Shakey’s V-League stars into that team will be a major boost for the game because fans get to see their favorites play together for the Philippines.  Knowing the V-League stars and how they’ve worked to bring their sport to where it is today, I’m pretty sure they would jump on the opportunity to be part of a national team.

The PVF stand is that there’s not enough funding and time to put up a team despite the help money but it seems more like the volleyball NSA is not in synch with what is happening in the game today.  There’s such great interest, a wave which the national sports association should be riding. The POC has stepped in, trying to avoid sanctions by international volleyball bodies.  Volleyball should now have a national team but it’s still a choice to be made.

Choices and options also abound in other sports when a national squad is the subject.  The Fiba Asia basketball games are only a month and a half away but the team has yet to be finalized.  There’s a pool of players currently training in Lithuania and should be trimmed down to fighting size by tournament time. Coach Chot Reyes has options in front of him and it will not be an easy job cutting players who want to have the chance to play for the national team in front of a home crowd in August.

Reyes has also been reported to be interested in Alaska’s Sonny Thos and Calvin Abueva to get clearance to participate.  Both are impact players and could make a difference in the campaign.  However, reported trips to China for the treatment of Thoss and Abueva’s injuries and an Alaska trip to the US for winning the Commissioner’s Cup are preventing confirmation of the duo joining the national pool.

Again, participation is a choice and Reyes will just have to whip up his unit based on those who opt to join.  There are those who are willing to be like Rain or Shine’s Beau Belga who’s now in Lithuania.  He may not have the same skills as his more talented PBA contemporaries but nobody “erases” people inside the shaded area to get a rebound like Belga.
The “Extra Rice” tag given by sportscaster Mico Halili has stuck because of the added muscle and energy he gives the Elasto Painters. This is one player who will always have a job in the pros and may outlast his more high profile colleagues.

Forming a sports national team is never easy but it should only have willing participants.   The Philippines may not win every international tournament it joins but it should have teams only with athletes ready to ride the team bus.