PH men’s volleyball national team coach Sergio Veloso. The mentor sees a good opportunity for volleyball with the country’s hosting of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Philippines men’s volleyball team coach Sergio Veloso is looking to make the most of the country’s hosting of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship in 2025, believing it’s a possible game-changer to the sport.
As FIVB selected the Philippines as a host for the world spectacle on September 12 to 28 next year, the country is an automatic participant out of the top 32 volleyball teams around the globe.
The Brazilian coach, who has been around the world as a player and tactician, knows how the hosting can take Philippine me’ns volleyball to another level. But he wants a longer preparation, a more united and committed volleyball community, and better work ethic from the athletes.
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“I think it’s a very, very good opportunity for Philippine volleyball. When I started my work with the national team, I saw a lot of little, bad situations — like ‘Oh we had a SEA Games last year and on the same date, we had a finals here in the UAAP. In the [other] national teams, they got the best players,” said Veloso, who started to handle the men’s national team in the Cambodia Southeast Asian Games last year.
“If we have a strong national team, what will happen? We can split this for the college (players), for the other groups and everybody can work together.”
Veloso took over the program following the removal of Dante Alinsunurin, and he had to work with a rebuilding squad in last year’s biennial meet after Marck Espejo, Bryan Bagunas, and Joshua Retamar, who were vital players of the country’s silver medal finish in the 2019 SEA Games, begged off.
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“I saw here in the Philippines a lot of potential, no matter if men’s or women’s, but the mentality here is not so professional,” the Ateneo coach said.
“And I talked to the guys [men’s national team’. When I started to work, I thought: ‘Hey, I’m more fit, more strong than you guys. I’m an old man!’ And the guys looked at me and they were like ‘yeah.’ I put in the (fitness) machine and it (showed) more than double than the players.”
The veteran coach had a chance to coach a stronger team as Espejo, who is playing in South Korea, and Taiwan league MVP and champion Bagunas joined Jau Umandal and Steve Rotter in the Asian Games last year, winning three of their sixth games to finish 10th including a gallant stand against Japan in their 19-25, 14-25, 23-25 loss.
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“For me, no matter, if you’re a senior or a beginner, you need to show me your best. Now you can see who’s famous, Bagunas, Espejo but in the last season Umandal showed me that ‘I can play’ and after that when Bagunas and Espejo returned, they needed to fight with Umandal for the position. It’s good because this is a good fight. One player after the player,” Veloso said.
“We showed this in the Asian Games. We lost 3-0 to Japan but all three sets were so close. [There was] one set, we could’ve won it. After (the game), the Japanese came to us and said ‘Hey, congrats. You played good.’ And as I say, sometimes you win, sometimes the opponent wins. This, I think, is the most important — having a strong mind. This is important for both men’s and women’s [games] and we have to work together.”
Working together
FILE–Philippine men’s volleyball coach Sergio Veloso during the country’s first game in the 32nd SEA Games. –CAMBODIA 2023
Veloso believes that Filipino volleyball players have what it takes to compete internationally but it needs to have a more consistent and united program. He even set the Turkey women’s national team as an example, which started from the bottom before emerging as the No.1 volleyball team in its division.
“When you look at [our team], Espejo and Bagunas can play. In the Super League in Brazil, he can play at the same level. We have very good potential players but they need to work together — not only with the national team staff but with the whole volleyball [community],” said Veloso.
“Everybody wins in this [hosting]. We get more sponsors, we get more fans. I think this is the most important for now. The World Championship is a very, very good opportunity to do this.”
The Philippine men’s volleyball team coach is not promising to reach the second round in the World stage but he vows to bring out the best in his team when it battles the top volleyball teams in the FIVB.
“We’ll play with the best of the best national teams in the world. But as I said here and the guys know that no matter who plays on the other side, we’ll do our best,” he said.