By MARK REY MONTEJO
Filipina volleyball star Jaja Santiago – or Sachi Minowa in her Japanese name – may have to overcome another big hurdle in her bid to becoming part of the Japan volleyball national team.
Despite finally becoming a naturalized Japanese and obtaining her passport, Santiago is unlikely to be given the green light to switch federations owing to her previous stints with the Philippine national team, according to newly-elected Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) president Ramon “Tats” Suzara.
Suzara cited section 5.2.3 of FIVB’s eligibility rule which says that as part of the general conditions to be granted a transfer of federation, “the player has not represented the senior national team of the Federation of Origin (FO).
“Si Jaja she’s married, right? But there’s a new rule from FIVB last year that if you played for a national team of another country, you couldn’t transfer federation anymore,” said Suzara in Tuesday’s PSA Forum presented by presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, Smart/PLDT, and the country’s 24/7 sports app Arena Plus.
“Even if Jaja has two passports, the Federation of Origin (FO) is Philippines, so when you change a federation, one time lang ‘yan, pero what happened now she played for the Philippines three or four times,” he continued.
“With a new rule from last year, she can never play for Japan.”
Suzara also stressed that the problem wasn’t Santiago’s passport but her history of playing with the national team of her Federation of Origin, which is the Philippines.
Santiago played and represented the Philippines since 2014 before moving to Japan in 2019. He was married to Japanese and Akari coach Taka Minowa in 2022 which made her eligible to process her naturalization.
With the development, Suzara assured that the doors of the women’s volleyball national team would remain open for Santiago if she wants to.
“She’s welcome to play for the national team but for her to represent Japan, at the moment, no,” Suzara added.
“She’s welcome to play for us in the SEA Games as well.”
