PH volleyball team out to compete – and learn
ALWAYS READY. The Philippine women's volleyball team takes the Asian Games spotlight after 36 years. Photo by Michael Gatpandan/Rappler
JAKARTA, Indonesia – Fresh off the team's Japan training, Philippine women’s volleyball captain Aby Maraño expects to continue learning even as the squad competes in the 2018 Asian Games here.
"Yung magiging experience namin (in the Asian Games) is to compete against veterans and pro athletes from other countries, magiging baon namin yun pagdating sa Philippines – na may mapag-aralan pa, ma-adapt namin ang sistema na meron sila na wala tayo," said Maraño.
(We'll experience competing against veterans and pro athletes from other countries in the Asian Games, and we get to bring that back to the Philippines – that we still have more to learn and we can adapt to their systems that we don't have yet.)
But Maraño, an advocate of grassroots sports, doesn't want to keep the lessons within the national team as she intends to share her learnings with the volleyball community back home.
"[W]henever we go back to our country, we can teach the youth na ito na yung nangyayari, we have to update. Updated na tayo," added Maraño.
(Whenever we go back to our country, we can teach the youth that this is what's happenning, we have to update them. We need to be updated.)
To prepare for the Asiad, the women's volleyball team trained in Okayama, Japan for two weeks with head coach Akiyoshi Kawamoto of the Okayama Seagulls.
The Philippines – which returned to Asiad competition for the first time in 36 years – will immediately be put to test against powerhouse squads Thailand and Japan in their first two games. (LOOK: 2018 Asian Games PH women’s volleyball schedule)
"Mas excited kami kaysa sabihin mo ready na para talunin ang lahat. Ready naman lagi ang Pilipina and ano man klaseng hamon ang ibigay sa amin. Very passionate kami to do our job as Filipinos."
(We're excited more than anything. It's not just about beating everyone. Filipinas are always ready anyway, no matter the challenge given to us. We're very passionate to do our job as Filipinos.) – Rappler.com
