Elections for Philippine volleyball officials get go signal

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Olympic Committee was given the green light by the FIVB or International Volleyball Federation to supervise an election that will gather all legitimate volleyball stakeholders in the land.

POC president Abraham Tolentino on Tuesday said he received a letter from the FIVB through director general Fabio Azevedo twice — the last on December 7 last year — expressing the latter’s intent to conduct polls in the country.

The Tagaytay Congressman said the election is set late this month, or just in time for the FIVB World Congress slated February 5-7.

“There was already a request from the FIVB some time ago to hold a volleyball election before the FIVB’s general assembly this February,” said Tolentino. “Without a legitimate NSA, we cannot send national teams to FIVB-sanctioned tournaments abroad.”

It is not known if the POC will conduct an election for the Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas headed by Joey Romasanta or the Philippine Volleyball Federation under Boy Cantada or form a new national sports association entirely.

But Tolentino is committed to summon all stakeholders in the country including the Premier Volleyball League, Philippine Superliga, the Spikers’ Turf, Beach Volleyball Republic and the collegiate leagues headed by the UAAP and NCAA.

“The FIVB wanted to recognize a legitimate volleyball NSA before its world congress. It’s urgent,” said Tolentino. “Therefore, we will ask all volleyball stakeholders to cooperate and participate in the elections.”

The LVPI has been the official governing body for the sport since 2015, succeeding the PVF, which remains an FIVB member but lost all its rights since 2019.

The LVPI, however, is only recognized as a provisional member after failing to get two-thirds vote from FIVB members in 2017.

That is the reason the FIVB sent some of its top officials last year with an aim of overseeing a unified poll, which never happened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.