PH beach volley squad ready for Thailand tilt

Cherry Rondina, whose partnership with Bernadeth Pons led to a bronze medal in the 2019 SEA Games, will lead the women’s squad. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

The Philippines’ newly formed beach volleyball teams are taking a long shot at Olympic slots next week. And while expectations must be managed, the team is expected to get valuable competition time to prepare for the Southeast Asian Games later this year.

No one is counting on the country to simply come out of a long hiatus and suddenly win the Asian Volleyball Confederation Continental Cup titles set in Thailand from June 14 to 18.

“But it would all be worth the try,” said Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) president Ramon “Tats” Suzara. “[I]t’s luck. The competition is very tough.”

The meet will only award Tokyo tickets to the champions of the men’s and women’s divisions. And with the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games bronze medalists going up against some of the best Asian teams in the country, the Philippines’ stint in Thailand has a much better use.“This is also a very good exposure for the national teams for the Southeast Asian Games,” said Suzara.

The tournament will be the breakout stint for PNVF since it gained International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) authority to run volleyball affairs in the country.

The national beach volley squads are currently in “bubble training” in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, under the watch of PNVF official Charo Soriano, whose Beach Volleyball Tour sparked the discipline’s resurgence.Among the members of the Philippine delegation are 2019 SEA Games bronze winners Cherry Ann Rondina and Bernadeth Pons.