NEW COACHES. Volleyball Federation president Ramon “Tats” Suzara (4th from left) and secretary general Don Caringal (2nd from left) pose for unity with newly-appointed national coaches (from left) Paul John Doloiras (women’s beach volleyball), Arthur “Odjie” Mamon (women’s volleyball), Dante Alinsunurin (men’s volleyball) and Rhovyl Verayo (men’s beach volleyball) on Thursday (March 11, 2021). Suzara said the new coaches would form the best teams for the 2021 Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam. (Contributed photo)
MANILA – Dante Alinsunurin will continue to lead the way for the Philippine men's volleyball team as the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) reappointed him as head coach.
The PNVF also tapped Odjie Mamon to coach the women's team.
The appointments have been formalized after both Alinsunurin and Mamon met with the PNVF's top officials on Thursday.
“After careful and stringent deliberation and evaluation, the federation selected coaches Odjie and Dante, both of whom bring with them impressive and credible credentials,” PNVF president Tats Suzara said.
Alinsunurin led the Philippines to a breakthrough silver medal in the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Pasig, stunning powerhouse Thailand in the semifinals to do so.
Meanwhile, Mamon makes a return to the women's national team after steering them to bronze medals in the 2001 and 2003 SEA Games.
“It’s a call to duty for the national colors and you can’t decline once the country asks for your service,” he said upon accepting the appointment.
Alinsunurin will have Ariel dela Cruz and Sherwin Meneses in his coaching staff.
On the other hand, Creamline coach Tai Bundit and Grace Antigua will assist Mamon.
The next task now is to build solid national teams in volleyball ahead of this year's SEA Games in Hanoi.
And Suzara is confident that both coaches will pull it off.
“Our appointed coaches will do whatever it takes to assemble the best ever team in the SEA Games with their vast coaching experience even during this situation. So we’re confident Volleyball Philippines is in good hands,” he said. “We have to work really, really hard if we want to win a gold medal.”
Alinsunurin is hoping that the men's team could sustain its newfound success amid the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
Meanwhile, Rhovyl Verayo and Paul John Doloiras will handle the national men’s and women’s beach volleyball teams, respectively.
Jason Gabales and Reycarl Dimaculangan will backstop Verayo in the men's team.
“We’ll do everything to get a gold because our program is improving,” Verayo said.
Meanwhile, Dolairas might still have Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons, arguably the Philippines' top two women's beach volleyball players right now, to pair up in bettering their bronze medal finish in the 2019 SEA Games.
“We will do our best to improve slowly every game until SEA Games,” Dolairas said. (PNA)
