Volleyball: Espejo, Bagunas to miss Qatar training camp

MANILA, Philippines — Japan-based professionals Bryan Bagunas and Marck Espejo won’t be a part of the Philippine males’s nationwide volleyball group after they maintain a coaching camp in Qatar later this month.

The boys’s group will head to Qatar on March 20 to coach for the thirty first Southeast Asian Video games. 

“Marami na naman kaming matutunan na madadala namin dito sa Pilipinas after which ‘pag naglaro kami sa SEA Video games,” head coach Dante Alinsunurin mentioned of the camp that can final till April 5.

“We’ve got this preparation so we will [make] our nation proud within the coming SEA Video games,” he added.

Seventeen gamers will make the journey: Mark Gil Alfafara, Nico Almendras, John Paul Bugaoan, Kim Dayandante, John Vic De Guzman, Joeven Dela Vega, Rex Intal, Lloyd Josafat, Jack Kalingking, Jessie Lopez, Kim Malabunga, Ysay Marasigan, Ish Polvorosa, Joshua Retamar, Francis Saura, Manuel Sumanguid III, and Joshua Umandal.

However Bagunas and Espejo will probably be unable to hitch on account of their commitments to Oita Miyoshi and FC Tokyo, respectively, in Japan’s V.League.

“Hindi pa po sila makakasama, kasi ho ongoing pa po ‘yung match nila sa Japan,” Alinsunurin confirmed.

FC Tokyo’s season concludes on April 3, whereas Oita Miyoshi’s final recreation is scheduled for March 27.

Alinsunurin assured that each open spikers, who performed massive roles within the Philippines’ run to the silver medal within the 2019 SEA Video games, will be a part of the nationwide group as quickly as attainable.

“Nag-usap na kami na by final week of April or first week of Could, darating na po sila para makasabay sa coaching namin,” he mentioned.

In the meantime, the coach expects the boys’s group to make nice enhancements in Qatar, the place they plan to play tune-up matches in opposition to native membership groups.

“Nag-request kami ng twice a day na coaching,” he mentioned. “For the morning session, bale group coaching. For the afternoon, tune-up with the totally different membership groups in Qatar.”

“Doon pa lang, makikita na namin ‘yung mga adjustment na pwedeng mangyari sa SEA Video games, para mas ma-polish namin kung ano man ang plan namin pagdating ng SEA Video games,” he added.

The SEA Video games will happen in Hanoi, Vietnam from Could 12-23.