It was a dream come true for veteran setter Jia Morado-De Guzman after being honored in the Philippine Sportswriters Association Awards Night on Monday, Jan. 27, at the Manila Hotel.
Dream come true for Jia De Guzman after being feted in PSA Awards Night
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It was a dream come true for veteran setter Jia Morado-De Guzman after being honored in the Philippine Sportswriters Association Awards Night on Monday, Jan. 27, at the Manila Hotel.
De Guzman, 29, has been bestowed the Ms. Volleyball award for her significant contribution to the sport, particularly during her leadership stint with the Alas Pilipinas national team in the Southeast Asian V.League legs where they won two bronze medals last August.
The former Creamline Cool Smashers standout in the Premier Volleyball League said being feted by the country’s oldest media organization is “a dream realized.”
“This is actually a dream come true for me,” said De Guzman, who is currently in Japan where she plays for the Denso Airybees in the pro league. “Because being a setter in volleyball and playing in a non-scoring supporting role for my team, I’ve always found the most fulfillment in seeing my teammates, my spikers shine.”
“But along with a non-scoring position comes challenges, self plays, limitations, and even dreams I thought I would never be able to achieve. Dreams like playing as a setter import in Japan or even receiving distinctive awards such as Ms. Volleyball,” she added.
De Guzman also expressed her gratitude to her loved ones and the people who helped and supported her along the way.
Miguel De Guzman, Jia’s husband, received the trophy on her behalf, which was witnessed by multiple sports legends, icons, including his wife’s former teammates in the PVL in Alyssa Valdez and Jema Galanza, and some of the country’s rising stars.
Valdez, Galanza, Bernadette Pons, Bea De Leon and coach Sherwin Meneses also accepted their citation for Volleyball after the Cool Smashers completed their grand slam bid in the PVL.
De Guzman also stressed a powerful message on being an athlete.
“The athletes awarded here today, even those today and those to come in the future, know very well the sacrifices that come with being called to this prestigious event,” said De Guzman. “More than sweet victories, there may be even more heartbreaks, failure, falling-short, self-doubt, and being put into the situations you may feel unqualified for.”
“But I believe it’s in our hardest, lowest points that we see what matters most to us as people and as athletes. It’s when we see why we do what we do. Why do we keep waking up at 4 a.m. everyday? Why do we train twice, thrice, even more times everyday? Why do we power through fatigue, exhaustion, and even injuries? And why do we keep playing even when we’re far away from our families?”
De Guzman also hopes to keep inspiring more upcoming athletes, particularly in volleyball.
“Our why becomes our purpose. It gives us strength to power through even when things are hard, when things are painful, because it makes everything worth it. So to share with you our why and our purpose. It is to take this privilege, do our best to inspire and open more doors for the next generation of volleyball athletes to come,” she said.
De Guzman has been one of the top playmakers in volleyball since her collegiate days up to her fruitful stint in the PVL. She also garnered medals in the local and international scene including the Southeast Asian Games.