NATIONAL coach Roger Gorayeb said there is still no final lineup for the Philippine team bound for the Southeast Asian Games as he tried to calm emotions amid reports of players being bumped off the roster.
"Wala pang tanggal sa team," Gorayeb told a haldful of sportswriters on Monday night as the star-studded team started its second week of practice at the Blue Eagle gym inside the Ateneo campus.
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| photo (c) Jerome Ascano |
Gorayeb was forced to issue the clarification amid a social media furor after utility spiker Aiza Maizo-Pontillas said in a tweet that she attended practice last Friday only to be told that she has been scratched from the lineup.
To clear up the confusion, Gorayeb said the final 12-woman pool will be released on Wednesday (May 20). The team is set to leave for Singapore on June 4. The SEA Games women's volleyball competition starts on June 10.
Until then, there are still 13 players in the pool namely Alyssa Valdez, Jaja Santiago, Gretcel Soltones, Dindin Santiago-Manabat, Rachel Anne Daquis, Aby Maraño, Jovelyn Gonzaga, Rhea Dimaculangan, Maika Ortiz, Jia Morado, Bea de Leon, libero Denden Lazaro and Maizo-Pontillas.
The multi-titled mentor also stood firm in saying that the final selection will not based on how many fans the players have, saying he will base his choices solely on the needs of the team in every position.
"'Yung lineup namin hindi popularity contest," said Gorayeb. "Para mapunta ka sa lineup, you have to be the best needed player for the position."
Source: Mei-Lin Lozada of Spin.ph
