Retamar turns pro and pleads: Give men’s league a chance

Retamar–MARLO CUETO/INQUIREr.net

The sport of volleyball has enjoyed a sudden rise in popularity, with the women’s UAAP and PVL leagues drawing record-breaking gate attendance.

Unfortunately, however, the men’s tournament have yet to receive the same attention from fans, something which young and talented national team setter Owa Retamar, who just wrapped up his playing years in the UAAP with National University (NU), hopes to be able to affect change.

“We know that here in the Philippines, when you say volleyball, people think about the women,” Retamar told the Inquirer after being named by the Collegiate Press Corps as the UAAP men’s volleyball player of the year on Monday night in Pasig City.

“The fans want longer rallies and intervals, but in the men’s (leagues) we have faster exchanges and faster kills and that’s how people see men’s volleyball,” the 22-year-old playmaker said.

Retamar was the unquestioned leader of the Bulldogs during his tenure at National. The team has also been the most dominant collegiate force in the men’s UAAP of late, recently pocketing a fourth consecutive championship under coach Dante Alinsunurin.

With his collegiate stint over, Retamar, who was also a part of the men’s national team that bagged the silver medal in the 30th Southeast Asian Games in 2019, is taking his act to Cignal in the Spikers Turf where he hopes to bring over NU fans.

“I hope we can be given the chance of gaining crowd support,” he said of the men’s pro league, which he also hopes would inspire the next generation of players.

“Since we first joined the national team, we have been doing everything we can to help bring more attention to the men’s volleyball team,” Retamar added. “We are doing what we are doing for the next generation to carry on, and we will improve the sport so they can take volleyball further.

“So I am happy and I feel proud, even though there is a bit of pressure and we rarely rest.” INQ