ABS-CBN will serve as the official broadcast partner of the 2017 Asian Women’s Volleyball Championship from August 9 to 17. The tournament will be held in the same venue as the 2016 Asian Women’s Club Volleyball Championship, the Alonte Sports Arena in Biñan, Laguna.
Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas, Inc. acting president Peter Cayco formally announced the partnership Friday afternoon, marking the first time that the national women’s team will be featured on prime time television outside of international club competitions.
Cayco said the partnership is a massive boost to the country’s bid of growing the sport and making its presence felt in the international arena.
“I’d like to thank ABS-CBN for helping us grow the sport,” said Cayco during the press conference graced by ABS-CBN head of Integrated Sports Dino Laurena. “It’s going to be a tough task ahead. We hope our team will make us proud as they compete in front of our countrymen.”
Taguig City congresswomen Pia Cayetano, a former national team member who saw action in this tourney’s 1983 edition in Fukuoka, Japan, gave the team advice, saying, “They should savor the experience because it’s a golden opportunity to serve the country through volleyball.”
“It’s amazing. I can’t forget the experience of representing the country,” said Cayetano, whose brother, Department of Foreign Affairs Sec. Alan Peter Cayetano, will head the organizing committee. “It’s an experience you’ll never forget. You’ll learn a lot from that not only in the sport, but also in life in general.”
Headlined by Alyssa Valdez, the Nationals has landed in a light bracket in Pool A together with Kazakhstan and Hong Kong.
Pool B features Rio Olympics champion China, Asian powerhouse Japan, and Australia, while Pool C has South Korea, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand.
The country’s Southeast Asian Games rival, Thailand, is in Pool D together with Chinese Taipei, Iran, and Maldives.
