Alyssa Valdez and Jaja Santiago may not be part of the top teams in the Asian U23 Women’s Volleyball Championship, but surely they have wowed their competitors.
In fact, these competitors want them.
However, Philippine head coach Roger Gorayeb said his two stalwarts prefer to stay and play in the Philippines.
“There are some who wanted to get them,” Gorayeb said Saturday at Philsports Arena after the Philippine team secured the seventh place in the tournament over Iranians.
“They cannot leave the country.”, he added.
Valdez and Santiago, as said by the coach, were offered to play in Thailand’s commercial leagues.
Chinese-Taipei was also impressed by Santiago inviting the towering middle-blocker to play in their leagues.
Gorayeb said the players are still studying and that they have commitments to their mother teams.
During the earlier match versus Iran, assistant coach Hashe Maryam Alsadat said she was impressed with Valdez and Santiago.
Meanwhile, Valdez said they could just leave the Philippines to play in another country.
Valdez said they couldn’t just leave the Philippines to play in another country.
“There are so many commitments here,” Valdez said.
Gorayeb adds that if the rise of volleyball continues in the country, Valdez, Santiago, and other players, don’t need to go to other countries to play.
“Patriotism first, they can carry the flag.”, he disclosed.
H/T: Inquirer.net; Spin.ph photo