SPIKERS PLOT BUILDUP
The national men’s volleyball team is now plotting its buildup in preparation for the 31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Hanoi.
In the latest edition of The Athletes Tribune Monday night, Bryan Bagunas said they are looking to kick off their training as early as January to have enough time to prepare for the biennial meet set from 21 November to 2 December next year.
We had a meeting last Saturday and they said that they are planning to resume our training in January.
Bagunas is the cornerstone of the national spikers.
With him spewing fire at the open spot, the national squad overcame powerhouse Thailand in a thrilling five-set classic of the 30th SEA Games last year in Pasig City.
They fell prey to a more seasoned Indonesian squad in the gold medal match, but it hardly mattered as the Nationals already made history by stepping into the podium for the first time since claiming the bronze medal in the 23rd edition of the meet in Bacolod City.
Now, Bagunas and the national spikers are back in the drawing board to plot how they can claim the gold medal.
“We had a meeting last Saturday and they said that they are planning to resume our training in January. It’s been a while since the last time we played and we’re all excited to start our training,” Bagunas, the former National University star, said in the weekly online sports show of Daily Tribune.
“We really need to get back since we are now holding on to something — the silver medal.” Bagunas, who is now playing as import for Oita Miyoshi Weisse Adler in the prestigious V.Premier League in Japan, said they still remain hungry despite proving their doubters wrong by emerging with a silver medal in the previous SEA Games.
He said only a gold medal would pump life into the sport that had been largely overshadowed by the popularity of their female counterparts.
“Even before the SEA Games, we were already saying that a podium finish would be an achievement,” said the 6-foot-5 spiker from Malabon.
“We really need to prove something this time. Winning a gold medal in the next SEA Games would definitely increase the profile and level of play of men’s volleyball in the country.”