Alas Pilipinas men out of Beach Pro Tour due to health concerns

Alas Pilipinas’ Ronniel Rosales in action during the Beach Pro Tour Nuvali Challenge. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

SANTA ROSA, Laguna — Alas Pilipinas men’s team failed to finish its campaign in the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Nuvali Challenge after Ronniel Rosales remained unfit to play alongside Ranran Abdilla on Friday morning at Nuvali Sands Courts.

Abdilla said that their team decided to withdraw from their supposed do-or-die match as a precaution for Rosales, who had a sudden spike in blood pressure at the start of the second set of Thursday’s game.

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“You could really see that my partner’s body hadn’t fully recovered. He’s feeling a bit better now, but he’s still not in good condition to play. He recovered a little from yesterday, but not enough. His head still hurts,” Abdilla said. 

“I told him that our game is at 10:30 under extreme heat. Maybe he can still play, but the big question is whether he can actually finish the match.”

Alas Pilipinas’ Ronniel Rosales and Ranran Abadilla in action during the Beach Pro Tour Nuvali Challenge. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Abdilla and Rosales handed a 21-0, 21-0 result to England’s Frederick Bialokoz and Issa Batrane, who advanced to the next round of the Nuvali Challenge.

Rosales received medical attention early in the second set of their match against Team USA’s Hagen Smith and Ryan Ierna on Thursday before the Filipinos eventually conceded a 21-10, 3-2 result.

“We already talked about it, and of course, this wasn’t something we wanted to happen. Situations like this really happen sometimes. Actually, I experienced something similar last year, too. So I think it’s really about acceptance and learning from it,” said Abdilla.

“We realized that we really need to take care of our health better. Proper nutrition and taking care of the body should always be the number one priority. That’s now part of our preparation moving forward.”

Despite the setback, Abdilla remains hopeful that the Alas men’s beach volleyball team will still get the chance to compete in the 2026 Asian Games and participate in more international tournaments in China and Chinese Taipei with the support of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation.