Shaq delos Santos, head coach of the national women’s volleyball team, sees a tough Southeast Asian Games campaign.
For one, the team—composed of players coming from different teams in two different leagues—was completed only on Thursday just in time for the announcement of the final lineup.
The 16-strong squad, from which the final SEA Games roster will be culled, will train in Thailand and join the SEA Grand Prix this month.
“But the good thing is that all of them are in tip-top condition because they are all actively playing,” Delos Santos said. “So fitness won’t be an issue anymore.”
The core of the team, mostly players from Philippine Superliga, was to fly to Bangkok on Saturday for a training camp arranged by the Larong Volleyball Sa Pilipinas Inc. (LVPI) and Thailand Volleyball Association.
The Filipinos will face eight Thai teams, including five universities and two clubs during their 12-day camp.
LVPI president Joey Romasanta said the team will be joined on Sept. 18 by players from the Premier Volleyball League led by Alyssa Valdez, Maddie Madayag and Jia Morado for the Grand Prix.
The maiden edition of the Grand Prix, a home-and-away test project, will be held on Sept. 20 to 22 in Nakhon Ratchasima, five hours away by bus from the Thai capital.
The Philippines will go up against Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia in the SEA Grand Prix, which will have its second leg on Oct. 4 to 6.
“It’s an actual tournament where we will face actual SEA Games competitors,” said LVPI vice president Peter Cayco.