Belen, Canino banner women's team in SEAG; Bagunas, Espejo headline men's squad

December 6 ------ Bella Belen and Angel Canino join forces with Jia De Guzman as the country is sending a mix of young and veteran players in women’s volleyball at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand set next week.

The 14-player list released by the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) as of Thursday, Dec. 4, also include Dawn Catindig, Maddie Madayag, Vanie Gandler, Justine Jazareno, Eya Laure, Shaina Nitura, Dell Palomata, Amie Provido, Alyssa Solomon, Alleiah Malaluan and Mars Albas. Among the lineup, only De Guzman and Palomata are the returning players from the previous edition held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where the Filipina spikers finished fourth behind perennial powerhouse Thailand, silver winner Vietnam and bronze medalist Indonesia.

Meanwhile, the country is fielding almost the same men’s roster that competed in the FIVB World Championships last September, led by Bryan Bagunas and Marck Espejo. Joining the dynamic duo are Kim Malabunga, Lloyd Josafat, Vince Lorenzo, Joshua Retamar, Jerico Adajar, Leo Ordiales, Buds Buddin, Rwenzmel Taguibolos, Josh Ybañez, Al-Bukharie Sali, Louie Ramirez and Jade Disquitado. Mentored by Italian coach Angiolino Frigoni, the Alas Men hope to carry the momentum of their impressive performance at the Worlds, where they stunned reigning African champion Egypt to clinch the country’s first-ever victory on the global stage.

In Phnom Penh, the Filipino spikers finished sixth behind eventual gold medalist Indonesia, silver winner Cambodia and bronze medalist Vietnam. The PH men’s team hopes to regain the lost glory of its silver-medal finish in the 2019 edition hosted by the country -- a feat that matched its best finish in the 1977 Kuala Lumpur Games. The PH women’s squad, meanwhile, aims to break a string of four straight fourth-place finishes since the 2017 Kuala Lumpur meet and return to the podium they last reached in 2005 in Bacolod, where they bagged bronze. The Filipina spikers last won the gold in the 1993 Singapore Games meet before Thailand went on to dominate the succeeding 14 editions.

Source: mb.com.ph