The Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) and the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) team owners are set to meet to discuss aligning the professional league’s and the national team’s calendars.
The federation aims to host the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship.
PNVF president ‘Tats Suzara shared that he has already met with PVL president Ricky Palou. They will schedule a meeting with the team owners of the 11 squads.
“We have already had discussions. I told them to let the club owners know about the calendar because they might not understand, so I have to give them a copy of the letter from the FIVB,” Suzara said.
During the first week of the Invitational Conference, the PNVF sent a letter to the PVL stating that it can’t grant the league International Transfer Certificates for the team’s imports for the season-ending Reinforced Conference.
This, as the mid-season conference of the pro league is taking place right smack in the ‘international window’ of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB).
Pro leagues can only play during the May to October window if granted clearance by the FIVB.
The PVL, though, sent its 2023 calendar to the PNVF as early as last December.
“I don’t like the word ‘sanction.’ I did not sanction the PVL. I just reminded them that the FIVB informed us about the national team calendar and that there should not be a club league during the national team period. Players should only focus on the national team,” Suzara said.
“Mr. Palou is currently in talks with the team owners, and I told them I’m ready to invite all the team owners so that they can understand.”
As the PNVF and the PVL look to have a unified calendar, Suzara mentioned that the PNVF will select collegiate players to form the national team, which will compete in the Southeast Asian V. league next month.
Suzara revealed that he has already spoken to four universities regarding the upcoming international tournament, and he will release the lineup next week.
“It might be difficult to convince the PVL team owners. They don’t understand because they have their own commercial value, so I will focus more on the young university players,” Suzara said.
“I was very happy to talk to four universities that will support the national team starting in August.”
However, the PNVF president is not ruling out the possibility of professional players representing the national team in the future.
With reports from Aeron Valderrama
