PNVF leadership asks ‘SiPons’ for beach volley commitment
The new Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) leadership is eyeing to sign Tai Bundit as the new coach of the Alas Pilipinas women’s squad and president Tonyboy Liao is also asking Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons for decisions on whether to continue playing beach volleyball after achieving history in Thailand last month.
Jorge Souza De Brito was informed by the previous PNVF administration last October that his contract would lapse at the end of last year and should Bundit agree, he would inherit the core that reached the AVC Nations Cup final for a historic silver medal and won a fourth consecutive bronze medal in the last two SEA V.League legs.
Liao also wants to widen the search for national players.
“We’re not only getting players from the PVL. We also scout from the universities,” Liao said. “As we’ve seen with this national team, (Angel) Canino and (Amie) Provido came from La Salle, (Shaina) Nitura from Adamson and many others. We hope the schools take pride in having their players represent the country and continue supporting the national program.
“It benefits both the national team and the schools because their athletes gain international experience,” he went on. “When they return to the Philippines, their performance improves and that helps their collegiate teams as well.”
A ticklish topic was that of Rondina and Pons—a long-time partnership dubbed ‘SiPons’—who were joined by Dij Rodriguez and Sunny Villapando in delivering the first-ever SEA Games beach volleyball gold for the Philippines by ending the eye-popping eight-edition reign of Thailand.
Difficult to play both
“It’s difficult to play both beach and indoor, but I understand,” Liao said while talking about Rondina first. “She has a contract with Choco Mucho. And we all saw how much the team struggled when she wasn’t there. So she really has to talk with management and make a choice: will she focus on beach or continue playing indoor?
“That decision will be up to her.”
Liao said that prior to the Games, Rondina talked to him and practically guaranteed a medal if “I will return to beach volleyball.”
And the PNVF also has to get the decision of Pons.
“From what I know, Rebisco allowed both of them to join this SEA Games,” Liao said, as both Pons and Rondina are playing under Rebisco-owned companies. “They need to talk among themselves and decide what they want to do. I just hope they continue, because it would be a waste to stop now.
“They won gold, history,” Liao said. “It’s the first time the Philippines has ever won a beach volleyball gold in the SEA Games. That’s huge. Winning gold here shows we’re moving in the right direction.”
For the Alas women, Jia De Guzman and her teammates called for continuity after a heartbreaking loss to Indonesia in another battle for bronze.
“When it comes to the long-term program we always talk about, I think we’ve already taken one big step by keeping the national team pool together for two years,” De Guzman said. “Hopefully, we can do the same in the next two years.”
