Cignal's Shaq Delos Santos raring to test mettle vs Japanese coaches

MANILA, Philippines – Cignal HD Spikers head coach Shaq Delos Santos isn’t afraid to step up to the challenge of facing better competition on the sidelines as a new season of the Premier Volleyball League looms.

Delos Santos, tenured now with the team for three years, welcomed the entry of more foreign coaches in the league after the Petro Gazz Angels named Koji Tsuzurabara as their new mentor, becoming the second Japanese tactician in the league after NXLED’s Taka Minowa.

Instead of shying away from the spotlight, Delos Santos is taking the latest news as motivation to keep on going — along with the rest of the local coaches in the PVL.

“Ang good thing, for me ah, mas machachallenge kami as local coach na meron na dumadating na foreign coaches,” Delos Santos told the media after Cignal’s training session at the Gameville Ball Park in Mandaluyong on Monday. 

“Syempre para sa amin, ang laking opportunity rin ‘to na ito yung kalaban namin na coach so kailangan ma-prove din namin sa sarili namin na meron kaming kayang gawin na pwedeng manalo or pwedeng mas maging okay.”

It is no secret that Japan is one of the sport’s powerhouses not only in the region, but also in the world.

While Delos Santos admits that they’re anticipating some struggles when it comes to going up against the kind of volleyball these Japanese coaches bring, he’s looking at it as a chance to learn and further develop himself and the rest of his team.

“Kung makaka-experience kami ng ‘di maganda, siguro absorb lang tapos laban lang nang laban at aral nang aral,” he said.

One thing’s for sure, as long as Delos Santos is concerned, Filipino coaches aren’t about to be left behind.

“Napapasok na tayo ng mga Japanese coaches na alam kasi natin kung ano yung kaya nilang gawin, but it doesn’t mean na magpapabaya kami. Ako mas sisipagan ko, mas tatrabahuhin ko talaga na mapaganda yung takbo ng team namin.” 

The HD Spikers are looking to start the year strong when the first conference rolls around in February after their bronze medal finish in the 2023 PVL 2nd All-Filipino Conference last December.

Cignal is looking for its first championship in the PVL after a runner-up finish in the 2022 PVL Reinforced Conference — its first foray in the finals.