PHILIPPINE volleyball moved a match point away from unification following an agreement along the sport’s major stakeholders to hold general elections in a week’s time.
The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) gathered the stakeholders on Saturday and laid the groundwork for the creation of a new national federation for the sport upon the request of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB).
POC President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino called the important meeting among the stakeholders and POC officials at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel. There, they set a January 25 elections at the East Ocean Seafoods Restaurant in Parañaque City.
“Volleyball is already unified at last and the true winner here is Philippine volleyball,” Tolentino said.
Present at the meeting were Alliances of Philippine Volleyball Inc.’s Ramon “Tats” Suzara, Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas Inc. Secretary-General Ariel Paredes and Philippine Volleyball Federation Secretary-General Rustico “Otie” Camangian. Ricky Palou and Tony Boy Liao of Sports Vision that organizes the Premier Volleyball League, were also in attendance.
Besides Tolentino,POC Cecretary-General Atty. Ed Gastanes, membership and accreditation committee head Atty. Billy Sumagui and legal officer Atty. Wharton Chan also joined the historic meeting.
Tolentino said the new national sports federation has yet to assume an official name and will be composed of 13 positions from the chairman, president and down to the members of the board.
Sumagui said the deadline, validation and submission of voting members will be today (Monday, January 18), the nomination of candidates will be on Wednesday.
“We will report this to the FIVB and we’re going to invite them in the elections through video link,” Tolentino said.
The FIVB requested the POC to supervise the creation—through general elections—of the national sports association. The international body withdrew its recognition of a Philippine federation since 2016.