Volleyball chief Tats Suzara is confident more Filipino players will have the opportunity to be discovered to play abroad in the coming years.
His statement came following the continued foreign stints of Marck Espejo, Bryan Bagunas and Jaja Santiago in Japanese leagues.
“I think maybe in the next two years, we could have more players playing in other countries,” Suzara said when he guested in Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Online Forum.
Espejo has signed with FC Tokyo while Bagunas and Santiago are returning to the Oita Miyoshi Weisse Adler and the Saitama Ageo Medics in the Japan V.League.
Espejo has also seen action in club teams in Thailand and Bahrain, while Alyssa Valdez previously suited up in Thailand and Chinese Taipei leagues.
Suzara said training and exposures are important to make heads turn in the international scene.
It would also benefit the whole national team, as there would be transfer of knowledge from these athletes.
“Honing their skills and preparing them for the next two years will be a big factor,” said Suzara, adding that the Philippine National Volleyball Federation Inc. (PNVF) has plans on sending the men’s and women’s crews to trainings in Europe, Brazil and the United States.
For now, one male and two female squads are seeing action in the AVC Asian Club Volleyball Championship in Thailand next month, and Suzara hopes through these, more Filipino players would be discovered by other foreign squads.
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