The future is bright for Alas Pilipinas women’s beach volleyball after collegiate standouts Khy Progella and Sofiah Pagara delivered the Philippines’ first-ever Asian Games medal in the sport.
Progella and Pagara turned heartbreak into history, rallying from a semifinal defeat to stun China’s Cao Shuting and Dong Jie, 13-21, 23-21, 15-13, and claim bronze Friday at Hekinan Ryokuchi Beach Court.
The University of Santo Tomas pair gave the country its best Asian Games finish in beach volleyball since the sport was introduced at the 1994 Hiroshima Games.
For Alas Pilipinas coach Joao Luciano Kioday, the breakthrough proves Philippine beach volleyball deserves greater attention alongside the country’s established indoor program.
“I think we’ve improved a lot with the beach volleyball that we deserve a spot on the mix. I know Philippine is a country very passionate for the indoor volleyball,” the coach said.
Kioday believes the medal should now serve as a springboard for the entire program, not just Progella and Pagara.
“This is the time we take the flow and use this medal in a good way, not just for one team, but for the whole program,” he said.
Asian Volleyball Confederation president Ramon “Tats” Suzara also credited the pair’s preparation and international exposure for their historic podium finish.
“It’s all about training, training and training and competition, exposure. The beach volleyball athletes has had plenty of competitions ahead of the games and they reaped the fruits of their hard work here,” said Tats.
Kioday now hopes Progella and Pagara can take the next step by becoming full-time professional beach volleyball players, with international exposure toward a potential Olympic campaign.
“We just want the opportunity, right? Opportunity to take Khy and Sofia, to make them a professional beach volleyball, to make them have hope to be in the Olympic one time, to be the best teams in the world because they have a talent, they have potential for this,” added Kioday.
For Pagara, the biggest lesson from their breakthrough win was simple.
“Para sa akin iyung natutunan ko dito sa liga na ito ay magkaroon ng pasensiya sa sarili at tiwala talaga na kaya po kasi nandun na po iyung skills po,” she said.
From a historic first medal to the possibility of a professional and Olympic future, Progella and Pagara have given Alas Pilipinas beach volleyball a new reason to dream bigger. (Jesus Nathaniel Valdez)
