Injury Crisis Strikes Alas Pilipinas Ahead of Asian Games
Alas Pilipinas will head into the 2026 Asian Games without three of its biggest stars after injuries sidelined reigning All-Filipino Conference MVP Vanessa "Vanie" Gandler, veteran libero Jennifer Nierva, and rising spiker Shaina Nitura.
Gandler opted to skip national team duties to focus on recovering from a lingering injury sustained after months of continuous competition, while Nierva is also undergoing rehabilitation for an injury.
Nitura, meanwhile, was officially ruled out after undergoing ankle surgery. The Philippine Olympic Committee said the young standout is expected to spend around three months in rehabilitation before returning to action.
The national team's injury woes were evident when Gandler and fellow MVP Erika Santos were absent from Capital1's recent friendly match against the visiting Dominican Republic squad.
Adding to the challenge, two other players in the Alas Pilipinas women's pool are reportedly still undecided about joining the national team due to concerns over losing compensation from their respective club teams during national duty.
Despite the setbacks, Alas Pilipinas continues its preparations with the remaining members of the training pool as it sets its sights on a strong campaign in the 20th Asian Games, scheduled from September 19 to October 4 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
The absence of three key contributors leaves the Philippine squad with a difficult task, but the team remains determined to compete at its best on one of Asia's biggest sporting stages.
