ENGLAND’S Javier and Joaquin Bello are expected to hit town on Tuesday to again show their elite form in the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour (BPT) Challenge that kicks off on Wednesday at the Nuvali Sands Court by the Ayala Land in the City of Santa Rosa in Laguna.
The Bello brothers-ranked 19th in the world among the 65 men’s teams in the 25-nation tournament hosted by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF)-are seeking both redemption and glory.
‘The Bello brothers are coming,’ PNVF President Ramon ‘Tats’ Suzara said on Monday. ‘Just like the rest of the participants, they are here to provide quality beach volleyball competitions.’
After winning the BPT Elite 16 in Rio de Janeiro last November, the duo would up only with the bronze medal in last December’s BPT Challenge also at Nuvali-they beat Timo Hammarberg and Philipp Wallar of Austria, 2-1.
They missed the gold medal match after they lost to the German pair of Paul Henning and Lui Wust, 0-2, in the semifinals.
The English pair are hoping to change their fortune this time in the five-day competition where 2023 Southeast Asian Games bronze medalists Ran Abdilla and James Buytrago, Ronniel Rosales and Rancel Varga and Edwin Tolentino and Larry John Francisco are competing for the hosts.
World No. 6 Jacob Holting Nilsson and Elmer Andersson of Sweden are also back to defend their men’s crown.