Volleyball player Madeleine 'Maddie' Madayag wants to see improvements on how the Premier Volleyball League holds a bubble tournament amidst the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Madayag joined the list of players who suffered injuries during the recently-concluded 2021 PVL Open Conference held under a bubble setup in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte.
Madayag, the team captain of Choco Mucho Flying Titans, stressed that seven to eight straight games of nonstop competing at a high level can definitely take a toll on one's body.
"Coming into the bubble, I believe that the teams were put in an environment that was not conducive for any athlete, no matter how strong," Madayag said on Saturday, August 14, in an Instagram post.
"No athlete deserves to be put into the risk of injuries when there are other options to carry on strategizing which will benefit all and lessen the risk," the volleyball player added.
The Flying Titans confirmed that Madayag suffered a complete ACL tear on her left knee during Game 1 of the best-of-three series for third place in the 2021 PVL Open Conference.
"She was immediately brought to Mariano Marcos Hospital where she underwent an MRI and our medical team assessed the extent of her injury," Choco Mucho said on Saturday, August 14, in a statement.
"She is scheduled to undergo a surgical procedure next week. Management will ensure the best care for Maddie," the team added.
Madayag said that before the season started, the coaching staff of the Flying Titans made sure to physically and mentally prepare her and her teammates for the upcoming tournament.
The volleyball player mentioned that she particularly focused on her knee so that she would not have to experience any of her past major injuries again.
Madayag also suffered an ACL tear in 2016 while playing for the women's volleyball team of the Ateneo De Manila University Blue Eagles.
"We’ve worked so hard behind the scenes just to avoid having major injuries," Madayag stressed.
"However, the body- no matter how healthy or strong- can only handle so much. It is unfortunate that despite the intensive strengthening and training done prior to the league had to be negated all because of a rushed schedule," she added.
Madayag also said that she understands the difficulties faced by the league to organize and fully plan out the recent conference due to the current situation in the Philippines.
She even expressed gratefulness to those who made the effort to ensure that the game pushed through.
"I'm sure all of the players want to compete as much as the fans would like to watch and support their squad. I just hope that in the future, the system will be planned out for coaches and players to thrive," Madayag said.
Sports Vision, the organizers of the PVL, assured that the league works to have 'a better, trouble-free staging' for the next conference set to happen later this year.
