Kalei Mau now eligible to play for PH

Filipino-Hawaiian spiker Kalei Mau can now officially represent the Philippines.

On Tuesday, July 6, the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) received a letter from FIVB of their approval for Mau to play for the Philippines in international volleyball competitions.

FIVB also forwarded its decision to USA Volleyball, whom Mau had former affiliations with, as well as the Asian Volleyball Confederation and the North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation.

“Mau is already available to play for the country, we can now go on full throttle for the women’s national team training,” PNVF president Ramon “Tats” Suzara said on Wednesday, July 7.

Mau, a dual Philippine and US citizen, was supposed to suit up in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, but was disallowed because of her affiliation with USA Volleyball.

The 6-foot-2 spiker, who is currently playing with Changas de Naranjito in Puerto Rico’s Liga De Voleibol Superior Femenino, got her Philippine passport in March 2019.

Mau, who played for US NCAA Division I school University of Arizona, first played in the country in the Philippine SuperLiga in 2018 with United Volleyball Club before moving to F2 Logistics the following year. 

Since Mau’s mother is a Filipino, she was treated as a local player despite being a member of USA Volleyball.

Under the FIVB Regulations, a player can only permitted to change federation of origin once and may not change back to the original federation of origin or to a third federation of origin.

Meanwhile, Brazilian coach Jorge Edson Souza de Brito also secured his visa from the Philippine Embassy in Brazil.

The visa issuance was delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions on foreigners entering the country.

Souza de Brito is set to mentor the Philippine women’s national team that is in a bubble training camp at the Ilocos Norte Centennial Arena in Laoag City.

The team is preparing for the country’s hosting of the 21st Asian Seniors Women’s Volleyball Championship in August, as well as the 2021 Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam, if it pushes through.

The FIVB coach will be working with national women’s team coach Odjie Mamon for two years upon his arrival.

The PNVF also secured an exemption from the temporary suspension of visa issuance for Thai coach Anusorn “Tai” Bundit, who will be one of Souza de Brito’s assistants.

Souza de Brito will bring his vast experience to the Philippines as a title-winning coach for several clubs in the top-tier Brazilian league as well as podium finishes in Turkey and Japan. – Rappler.com