BRAZIL'S BARROS COMING BACK

IT is enough that Leila Barros is returning even as Brazil will try to overcome the loss of its two key players in the World Women's Volleyball Grand Prix next month at Philsports in Pasig City.

Barros, the five-foot-eight star of Brazil who created a mass hysteria last year, will be back to renew her love affair with Filipino sports fans.

Barros, whose looks captured the imagination of an adoring public, is coming back to help Brazil defend its Manila title starting on Aug. 18.

The Brazilians, cheered by partisan fans, beat tournament favorite Cuba to capture the Manila leg of the country-hopping series.

The Brazilians, however, will be hard pressed for a repeat due to the presence of World Grand Prix champion Russia, the same team that beat them in the finals last year.

Still, the Brazilians are expected to use the tournament to gauge their readiness for the Olympic Games in Sydney in September.

The first and only time Brazil went home with an Olympic medal was in 1996 in Montreal, where it garnered the bronze.

After placing fourth in the world championship last November in Japan, the Brazilians are hoping to nail their fourth World Grand Prix crown.

However, they will miss the services of veterans Fernanda Venturini and Ana Paula Conneley, leaving much of the load to setter and team captain Heila Souza, wing spiker Virna Dias, middle blocker Karin Rodrigues, Sandra Voloch and Barros.

Still, Brazil's desire and determination could not be underestimated.

Italy, another team that caught the Filipinos' fancy last year, is also returning to take another crack at the title.

Not yielding an inch in the looks department, the Italians are bringing back the beauteous pair of Francesca Piccinini and Maurizia Cacciatori to get Filipino fans to their side.

The Italians notched their best finish in the Grand Prix last year, placing fourth, but have yet to make their mark in the world championship and the Olympics.

In fact, it marked only the first time that the Italians qualified in the Olympics, a result of their ''Club Italia'' project designed to create conditions to develop their technique to the highest level.

Brazil and Italy are two of the world's top two teams gracing local shores next month. Joining them in the preliminary leg are Russia and Korea.