Alas Pilipinas libero Josh Ybañez voiced his frustration over the lack of support for their team following their loss at the 2026 Asian Games.
Ybañez took to his Instagram broadcast channel after the Philippines suffered a straight-set defeat to South Korea, 16-25, 25-27, 22-25, in their opening match on Sunday, Sept. 27.
“Talo na nga, gutom pa, ano na ‘Pinas! Jusko HAHAHAHA kanya-kanya na to!!!” Ybañez wrote.
“’Di ba namin deserve suportahan? Tanong lang,” he added.
Nonetheless, the athlete clarified that his remarks were not meant to make excuses for their defeat or justify the team’s performance.
“We’re not speaking up to make excuses for that loss earlier or para i-justify ang pag-underperform, hehe. We are always trying our best to play according to what we have. Preparation wise? Tagilid talaga kami jan,” he asserted.
Ybañez also shared how the players have continued to support one another throughout their Asian Games campaign.
“Sabi nga ni Kuya Mark, ‘Laban nalang natin ’to para sa isa’t isa.’ We have each other’s backs. We’re doing it for ourselves and for the team. Kaya nilaban namin ’tong Asian Games! Just wanna share it! Thank you, guys!” he added.
His remarks came shortly after team captain Bryan Bagunas also spoke about the financial difficulties faced by the men’s national team.
Bagunas revealed that some players had resorted to borrowing money from teammates and other people to cover transportation costs for training and trips home.
Bagunas also disclosed that the players had not received their allowances since July and had been relying on allowances from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC)
“Sobrang nakakalungkot kasi nagre-represent kami for the country, then ayun, hindi namin nafi-feel ‘yung suporta na dapat para sa amin. Ayun, sobrang naano lang ako lalo sa mga bata,” Bagunas added.
Following his statements, the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) apologized and acknowledged that its efforts to support the national team had not been enough. The federation also said it would address the athletes’ financial concerns.
