BILIS at determinasyon ang puhunan nang Team Philippines sa pagsabak laban sa mas malalaki at batak nang karibal sa pormal na pagsisimula ng FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour main draw ngayon sa Sands SM By The Bay.
Magsisimula ang aksyon ganap na 8:00 ng umaga kung saan target ng apat na Pinay at men’s team na makakuha ng puntos sa FIVB beach volley tourneys.
Pangungunahan nina Sisi Rondina at Dzi Gervacio ang kampanya ng bansa, kasama sina Charo Soriano at katambal na si Bea Tan, gayundin sina Karen Quilario at Lot Catubag, at wildcard entries DM Demontaño at Jackie Estoquia.
Nakatuon ang pansin kina Langkawi Open silver medallists Katja Stam/Julia Wouters ng The Netherlands at sa top-ranked na sina Michelle Amarilla at Erika Bobadilla.
“I may be small, but I can compete toe to toe. I won’t let this opportunity pass me by. I’ll do my very, very best to make Filipinos proud. This is also for me, my family and all those who believe in me,” pahayag ni Rondina.
Kapit-bisig ang homecrowd na inaasahang makatutulong sa kampanya ng Pinay sa US$10,000 one-star tournament na inorganisa ng Beach Volleyball Republic.
“Ilalaban namin ang bandera ng Pilipinas,” sambit ni Rondina, miyembro ng national team na umabot sa quarterfinals sa 29th Southeast Asian Beach Volleyball Championships sa Singapore.
Sasandigan naman nina BVR national champions Jade Becaldo at Calvin Sarte, Kevin Juban at Raphy Abanto, James Pecaña at KR Guzman, at Ranran Abdilla at Edwin Tolentino ang men’s team.
Target ng tambalan nina Simon Fruhbauer at Jorg Wutzl ng Austria ang back-to-back title matapos magwagi sa Langkawi stage sa nakalipas na linggo. Liyamado rin ang tambalan nina Petr Bakhnar at Taras Myskiv ng Russia, silver medalist sa Malaysia, at Sweden’s Martin Appelgren at Simon Bowman.
Naimbitahan para magbigay ng mensahe sa opening ceremony kahapon sina International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) technical delegate Liu Chang, Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas Inc. secretary general Ricky Palou, BVR adviser Tony Boy Liao, BVR co-founder Bea Tan at EPlus Philippines Managing Director Kalvin Sangalang.