At par with the world's best

In showbiz, volleyball is one of the most highly anticipated games during the Katipunan ng mga Artistang Pilipino sa Pelikula at Telebisyon (KAPPT), Star Olympics. Stars come in full force to participate in the yearly games. Jean Garcia, Ilonah Jean, Maymay Davao, Isabel Granda, Valerie Concepcion, Kim Chiu and Angelika Panganiban are some of the celebrities who play volleyball. In the men’s volley, Gerald Anderson, Dingdong Dantes, Richard Gutierrez, Wendell Ramos, Antonio Aquitania are active participants. “Si Ilonah Jean magaling,” said Julie Bonifacio who has witnessed a number of Star Olympics.

Volleyball may not be as popular a sport in the Philippines as basketball and boxing but its players need about the same things in order to become at par with the world’s best.

Edgar Barroga, one of the coaches of the Philippine Volleyball Team, knows this fact only too well. He recently helped find members for the volleyball national team through a nationwide open try-out from which 14 out of 200 applicants were chosen.

“All our players must have discipline, great endurance and stamina, excellent mind and body coordination — and they must have day jobs,” he said.

Edgar isn’t kidding. Because the players’ salaries are hardly enough to keep body and soul together, they need the jobs which, in turn, keep them from realizing their full potentials.

Unlike in China, Japan and many of the countries with the best volleyball players, ours do not have the luxury to concentrate on improving in the sport. They need such things as living quarters, shoes, gym equipment, balanced nutrition and the chance to compete with players from abroad before they could even think of honing their skills.

And all those require one thing: Funding.

“Still, we do not let the lack of finances bring us down. Rather, these are challenges that bring out the resourcefulness in the team,” said Barroga.

He cited that though our players are not as tall as their counterparts in other countries, they make up for it by learning how to jump higher. That if they are short, they are also faster and more accurate in their movements.

They also make it a point to know their other members well. After all, team work is an important aspect in volleyball.

“The players must reach the point when they could almost read each others’ minds. That’s because even though their moves inside the court are planned, it’s in that split second when the ball must be hit to score a point, that everyone in the team must have a sense, the instinct to know which one of them would do give the winning spike,” said Edgar.

The Philippine Volleyball Team recently participated in the 15th Asian Senior Men’s Volleyball Championship and hosted the 8th Asian Volleyball Confederation General Assembly in Manila from Sept. 26 to Oct. 5.

Come December, the Philippine Volleyball Team will participate in the 25th Southeast Asian games to be held in Vientiane, Laos.

The Philippine Volleyball Team is composed of Dante Alinsunurin, (captain ball), Jesse Lopez (assistant captain ball), team players are Chris Macasaet, Edget Mabbayad, Edcer Penetrante, Sylvester Gil Honrade, Raffy Mosuela, Michael Carino, Mark Emilio Lee, Clarence Esteban, Christian Fernandez, Reny John Balse, Niño Jeruz and Jeffrey Malabanan. Coach is Sinfornio Acaylar and assistant coach is George Pascua. Trainors are Edgar Barroga, Romulo Reforsado. Philippine Volleyball Federation president is Pedro Mendoza, VP is Generoso Dungo and secretary general is Rustico Camangian.

Alternative film and video tilt

The Cultural Center of the Philippines is inviting Filipino filmmakers to join the Ika-21 Gawad CCP Para sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Video on Nov. 17 to 20.

Entries to the competition must be in 16mm and 35mm format for Film and DVD and Mini DV formats for Video.  Competition categories are Short Feature/Narrative, Experimental, Documentary and Animation.  All works submitted to the competition must be strictly independent works and not produced for commercial screening.  These works must not have been completed earlier than December 2008.  Each participant may submit a maximum of three entries in each category.

Winners of the competition will be announced in the awards ceremony on Nov. 20 at the CCP Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino.  All entries to the competition will be screened during the festival week from Nov. 17 to 20 at the CCP Tanghalang Manuel Conde.

Deadline for submission of entries is Oct. 16. Entry forms may be downloaded from the CCP website at www.culturalcenter.gov.ph or obtained from the CCP Media Arts Office on Tuesdays to Fridays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.  Regional participants may request for entry forms through mail. 

For details, call CCP Media Arts at 832-1125 locals 1702, 1704 and 1705.