Philippine Olympic Committee gathered major volleyball stakeholders on Saturday and laid the groundwork for the creation of a new national federation for the sport that would secure the recognition of the International Volleyball Federation.
Rep. Bambol Tolentino presided over the important meeting among the stakeholders and POC officials at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel, where a January 25 election was set 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.
Attending the meeting were Alliances of Philippine Volleyball Incorporated’s Tats Suzara; Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas Incorporated secretary-general Ariel Paredes; and Philippine Volleyball Federation secretary-general Otie Camangian.
Joining them were Ricky Palou and Tony Boy Liao of Sports Vision, which organizes the Premier Volleyball League.
Suzara is set to become the president on an interim basis, while his ally Don Caringal will be placed as secretary-general, according to multiple sources closely monitoring the situation. Moreover, another election will be held on January of 2022 for the real elections.
With Tolentino were POC secretary-general Atty. Ed Gastanes, membership and accreditation committee head Atty. Billy Sumagui, and legal officer Atty. Wharton Chan.
Tolentino said the new national sports federation called Philippine National Volleyball Association will be composed of 13 positions from the chairman, president, and down to the members of the board.
The board members will be composed of four members each from the APVI, LVPI, and PVF. The tiebreaker vote will go to a member of the POC.
Sumagui said the deadline, validation, and submission of voting members will be on Monday 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.
