Sports
Tai Bundit back to coach for Creamline
FILE: “Not only did you change the game of volleyball here in the PHI, but more importantly, you’ve changed your players’ lives!” (Photo: @alyssa_valdez2/Instagram)
Former Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) Lady Eagles head coach Tai Bundit is ready to go back to his coaching duties for Creamline in the Premier Volleyball League (PLV) Reinforced Conference after the Cool Smashers fired Chinese coach Huanning Li as soon as they lost the opening.
Coach Tai arrived from Thailand last Monday, June 3, and immediately began training the same players that he led to the title during the Open Conference at the end of 2018. The team is currently searching for their third straight victory after scoring back-to-back wins against Pacific Town Army and BanKo Perlas under assistant coach Ed Ortega this past week.
It was announced last Wednesday, May 29 that Coach Li Huanning, who is a former China national juniors team mentor, was removed from his position after the team’s first game of the season. In a report by the Philippine Star, a team official confirmed that Coach Li “was asked not to go to practice anymore” after that loss. During that time, Ortega also revealed, “Actually, the management told me to take over the training and the games. They are trying to find a suitable program for the team,” adding, “Sad to say, Creamline and Coach Li really needed to part ways.
” Ortega explained that the players were still more comfortable with Coach Tai’s system, therefore implementing his same ways of training and drills.
The Cool Smashers’ next match is against winless Motolite on Saturday, June 8 at the Flying V Filoil Arena in San Juan.
Despite Bundit’s departure from the Philippines last December 14 to take care of family matters in his hometown of Bangkok, he still remained as a team consultant since his contract as head coach ended.
During his stay in the Philippines, the infamous Thai mentor totalled two University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) championships, four finals appearances, and five Final Fours as well as back-to-back PVL Open Conference title victories.
