SGA rallies behind Alas Pilipinas

Alta Sports13 hours ago · 128 views

Photo: PVL

By Rachel Gonzales

Strong Group Athletics (SGA) continued to show its commitment to Philippine volleyball after allowing key players and coaches to fill in the void for the Alas Pilipinas program after the national team mainstays begged off from representing the country.

Players and coaches from Farm Fresh and ZUS Coffee as well as University of Santo Tomas, the University of the Philippines, Letran, and College of Saint Benilde will be joining the national team pool after SGA owner Frank Lao expressed his commitment to support the Alas women’s team.

He will shoulder the national team allowances and salaries of his players and coaches and also pledged the first two round picks of both Farm Fresh and ZUS Coffee in the Premier Volleyball League Draft as full-time Alas players.

De La Salle University stars Angel Canino, Amie Provido, and Shevana Laput also decided to opt out of the Alas Pilipinas training pool ahead of the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Women’s Cup set June 6 to 14 in Candon City.

Photo: UAAP

Canino released a statement Thursday explaining that the trio chose to prioritize recovery after completing a perfect 16-0 championship run in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88.

“To be invited to the National Team training pool is a privilege I never take for granted, and playing for the Philippine flag is the highest honor,” Canino said.

“However, coming off the high intensity of UAAP Season 88, Amie, Shevana, and I have decided to prioritize our physical recovery. We first need to let our bodies heal and reset so that we can give our best to the game.”

Despite stepping away from this year’s tournament, the La Salle star reiterated her support for the national team program.

“We've communicated this to the PNVF and while we won't be on the court this time, our hearts are with the team as they compete in the AVC Women's Cup 2026,” she said.

Canino has been one of the mainstays of the Alas program in recent years. She helped the Philippines secure a bronze medal in the 2024 AVC Women’s Cup and won Best Opposite Spiker honors before claiming Best Outside Spiker recognition last year after leading Alas to a runner-up finish against Vietnam.

Canino and Provido also represented the country in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, while Laput has remained on the national team radar over the past two years.

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