The Philippine men’s and women’s beach volleyball teams seek to improve their bids for Tokyo Olympics berths when they compete in the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Continental Cup set June 18 to 19.
The teams left for Nakhon Phathom province last Sunday for the tournament, which stakes two slots in women’s and one for men in the final phase of Olympic qualifications scheduled June 25 to 27.
The final qualification tournament offers two slots to the Tokyo Games.
This will be the country's first international competition for a national volleyball team since the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
The women’s teams are composed of Sis Rondina and Bernadeth Pons, as well as Dij Rodriguez and Babylove Barbon. Alternates are Mer Jauculan and Gen Eslapor.
The men’s side, meanwhile, has Jaron Requinton and Jams Buytrago, and Jude Garcia and Anthony Arbasto. Ranran Abdilla and Philip Bagalay are alternates.
Rondina, a veteran of the 2014 Continental Cup, along with Pons and Rodriguez clinched a bronze medal in the 2019 SEA Games. Dji Gervacio was part of that team but won’t be going to Thailand because of a knee injury.
The PH women’s crew will face Japan, New Zealand and Sri Lanka, while the men’s squads will battle Australia, Japan, Kazakhstan and Lebanon.
The teams have been training extensively in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte prior to their departure.