Dante Alinsunurin out as PH men’s volleyball head coach

MANILA, Philippines – Dante Alinsunurin will no longer coach the men’s national volleyball team, the veteran mentor confirmed on Saturday, January 28.

Alinsunurin said the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) told him earlier this month of the decision due to his other commitments with the NU Bulldogs in the UAAP and the Choco Mucho Flying Titans in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL).

“What happened was I told [the PNVF] that I will handle women’s, then they asked me if I could [juggle] my jobs,” Alinsunurin told reporters in Filipino during the PVL press conference at the Discovery Suites Manila.

“Because they said I could be busy and couldn’t handle it, I was told by my team manager that the [higher-ups] decided to relieve me of my duties,” he added.

Alinsunurin steered the Philippine side to a silver medal in the 30th Southeast Asian Games on top of winning back-to-back UAAP titles and a Spikers’ Turf championship.

Taking over Alinsunurin will be UST head coach Odjie Mamon, who will reprise his old role on an interim basis to handle the team’s preparation for the 32nd Southeast Asian Games this May. 

Brazilian Sergio Veloso will then call the shots following the SEA Games heading towards the Asian Games calendared for September. – Rappler.com