Bryan Bagunas acknowledged that mounting pressure and expectations caught up to Alas Pilipinas Men after their SEA Games 2025 gold medal bid ended with a semifinal loss to host Thailand.
Alas Pilipinas Men captain Bryan Bagunas did not shy away from the weight the national team carried as their gold medal bid at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games came to an abrupt halt.
Playing before a hostile crowd at the Hua Mark Indoor Stadium on Thursday, the Philippines bowed to host Thailand in straight sets, 20-25, 19-25, 21-25, ending their run one step short of the championship match.
After the match, Bagunas admitted that Alas Men failed to consistently play to their standards throughout the SEA Games, as mounting pressure began to take its toll.
“Andun ‘yung pressure eh kasi mataas ‘yung expectation sa amin ng mga Filipino volleyball fans or kaya lahat ng sumusuporta sa amin. Tingin ko, na-over-pressure ‘yung team na kailangan pagpunta pa lang dito, pero, nasa utak namin na maka-medal agad,” Bagunas admitted to reporters.
“Hindi namin inisip na kailangan one game at a time kasi, alam naman natin dito sa SEA Games, talagang short tournament [at] lahat naghahanda.”
Expectations vs reality
Alas Men entered the SEA Games riding momentum from a historic showing in the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship, raising hopes of ending the country’s gold medal drought in the biennial meet.
Alas Pilipinas Men after their loss to Thailand in the SEA Games 2025 semifinals. | Photo: POC Media Pool
However, Bagunas admitted that while the World Championship was never expected to yield wins, the SEA Games was a different story.
“‘Yung pinagdaanan ng team for this past year, talagang nag-prepare kami sa sobrang ganda. Talagang pinaghandaan namin ito,” he said.
“‘Yung World Championship, talagang di naman namin na-expect na makakapanalo kami dun eh. Talagang pinagprepare namin itong SEA Games. Talagang di namin na-expect na ganto ‘yung kakalabasan ng mga laro namin.”
[ALSO READ: Bryan Bagunas urges full throttle as Alas Men brace for tough SEA Games 2025 pool]
Despite the setback, Alas Men still have a shot at securing the bronze medal when they face Vietnam tomorrow, December 19.
“Sabi namin sa isa't isa, hindi pa naman tapos ‘yung laban. May chance pa rin kami maka-medal.So, laban lang, walang susuko, and kailangan pagtrabahuan pa,” Bagunas ended.
(With reports from Mei-lin Lozada, Alyssa Valdez/Cignal)
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Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.