Alas Pilipinas may have failed to win the gold medal in the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games but its skipper in Bryan Baginas remains proud of what they achieved.

Bagunas admitted that they got a little confident, prompting them to lose to Thailand in the semifinals until beating Vietnam to settle for the bronze medal of the men’s volleyball event of the biennial meet that was held two weeks ago in Bangkok.

It was yet another heartbreaking finish for the Filipinos, who are searching for the gold medal after cornering a bronze when Manila hosted the event in 2019.

Still, Bagunas remains proud and is accepting the outcome with a grateful heart.

“It was really tough for me as I came straight to the SEA Games. In fact, I didn’t even get to train with the team before,” said Bagunas, who flew straight to Thailand following a stint for the Osaka Bluton in the Japanese domestic club league.

“I only trained with them in Bangkok for a few days. Still, I’m so proud of my team.”

True enough, the lack of cohesion, and a little confidence, hurt the Filipino spikers’ chances for a breakthrough SEA Games gold medal.

In the semifinals against Thailand, Alas Pilipinas faltered as they played without fire, competitiveness and willingness to pull off an upset. In the end, the Thais prevailed, 25-20, 25-19, 25-21, pushing the visiting squad to the bronze medal match against Vietnam.

After the match, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio paid a visit to Alas Pilipinas in its dugout, where he delivered an inspiring speech that fired up the entire team heading into its consolation battle against the Vietnamense.

“I’m here because I want to look all of you straight in the eye and promise me that you will win that bronze medal,” Gregorio said.

“When you leave this room, promise me that tomorrow you will go all out, And you will win that medal for the Philippines because millions of Filipinos are cheering for you. Ilabas nyo yang puso nyo! Pwede ba? Kaya ba? Okay, let’s go!”

Gregorio’s fighting words paid a handsome reward as the Filipinos fought tooth and nail against the Vietnamese until they pulled off a dramatic 23-25, 23-25, 25-18, 25-22, 16-14 win that sent them to the medal podium for the first time in six years.