Joshua Retamar skips SEA Games, claims lack of support for national team

MANILA, Philippines – Joshua Retamar may not participate in the 32nd Asian Games in Cambodia in May due to a scheduling conflict with the National University’s UAAP campaign in February, but the star setter did not hold back tears as Dante Alinsunurin was removed as coach of the men’s national program.

Retamar is a member of the national team that won a historic silver medal at the 2019 SEA Games and the squad that placed fifth at last year’s Olympics in Vietnam coached by Alinsunurin.

Alinsunurin announced on Saturday that he was relieved of his coaching duties after the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) let him go due to several coaching gigs with NU in the UAAP and Choco Mucho in the Premier Volleyball League.

Odjie Mamon, who ironically also coached the University of Santo Tomas Tiger Spikers and AMC Cotabato on the Spikers’ Turf, was tapped to replace Alinsunurin on an interim basis before Brazil’s Sergio Veloso took over the men’s program after the SEA Games in May.

Retamar came to the defense of Alinsunurin and said that he has no doubt that his former coach can still manage his time despite having managed three teams.

Of course I’m sad because I know that coach Dante really wants to recover and win gold in the SEA Games and his ambitions are very high in the men’s national team,” Retamar told Inquirer Sports. “It’s because he was fired, so everything is irrelevant. Coach Dante just accept whatever decision is made for them.”

(Of course, I’m sad because coach Dante really wanted to bounce back and win gold at the SEA Games. He had big dreams for the men’s national team. But he was relieved of duty and that dream fell. However, the coach still accepted his decision.)

“I think coach Dante can [coach three teams]. They have a coaching staff and they never stop taking care of us and teaching us. He was always present in the morning and evening sessions. I think it’s unfair that they didn’t give coach Dante a chance to prove that he can.

Retamar does not appear to be in the 19-man pool for this year’s SEA Games.

However, 22-year-old Retamar revealed that he and Turf Spikers MVP Nico Almendras were invited to be part of the initial cut, but decided to focus on their comeback in the UAAP.

He also clarified that the removal of Alinsunurin had nothing to do with his decision to quit the national team.

“When coach Dante changed, I know that coach Odjie also has what it takes to handle the national team. It was our decision to focus on the UAAP not because coach Odjie is the new head coach of the national team,” said Retamar in Filipino.

Another big factor in his decision to skip this year’s Games, was Retamar’s claim that he had stopped receiving benefits since November last year.

“He lost his allowance in November. My news is because they said that they did not practice, so the allowance is waiting. We are the ones who want to practice because we want to make up for the SEA Games because the results in Vietnam are low. We are the ones chasing,” said Retamar.

(We stopped receiving our allowances in November because they said we no longer train, so they stopped giving us allowances. But we want to train because we really want to make a comeback in the SEA Games after our results in Vietnam.)

“We always ask coach Dante when we should train so we can prepare longer. Coach Dante always says that PNVF doesn’t have an answer when. We have to wait.”

(We always ask coach Dante when we will train to have a longer preparation but coach Dante keeps saying that PNVF hasn’t said when and we just have to wait.)

Retamar also said that their daily allowance during the build-up to last year’s SEA Games was even lower than what they got when the team was formed in 2019. They even spent on drinking water and parking fees for each training session.

“I think carefully because the only cost because the national team’s daily training in Pasig will cost P800 return and food. How much allowance for the national team is really not enough. We can still compost,” said Retamar.

(I think so because every national team training is in Pasig and I will spend about P800 back and forth on top of food. We have to spend our own money because the allowance we get just won’t be enough.)

“I didn’t expect the allowance to increase. I hope it will be preserved, if it goes up we will be happy. What’s worse is the water problem during training, the parking that was requested at the last SEA Games.”

(We didn’t expect to get higher allowances but the situation is getting worse because of the water and parking fees that we have asked for in the past SEA Games.)

“It’s just a shame because not all people are rich, have means. We are still students. The allowance given is also given to his family,” he added.

(It hurts because not everyone is rich. We are just students and we give what we can to our family.)

Retamar doesn’t feel bad for the national team. But he was angry that the team did not have a chance to redeem themselves, because Alinsunurin was not the coach and other players who chose to beg.

“All I can say about the national team is that it is disappointing that we started well and then, the team finished with a bad result,” said Retamar. “Others are too lazy to play because there is no support from us. The bottom goes down. Unfortunately the kids who want to make the national team also have a chance because of this. Even I don’t know what will happen to the men’s national team because many of them will not play.”

(It’s great that what started well doesn’t end as expected. Others don’t want to play anymore because there’s no support. Personally, I don’t know what will happen to the men. national team because many of them won’t play.)

Inquirer Sports has contacted PNVF president Tats Suzara for comment but the top official was yet to respond at the time of posting.

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