Volleyball’s near death experience

LAST month, Philippine volleyball reached a point where its life expectancy was measured in days.

That’s rubbish, you’d say. Of late, the game—especially women’s volleyball—is having a renaissance, not a near-death experience.

If not for the timely intervention of concerned stakeholders, a bad bug could have proven fatal to local volleyball. It could have halted our spikers’ prospects of gaining foothold on the world stage after wrapping fervor around the sport’s followers at home.

At least two of the rescuers were athletes recently trumpeted in a front page story by Inquirer Assistant Sports Editor Francis Ochoa. Volleyball’s new “pinup girls” have made their sport as exciting as any drama and as populated as a rock concert.

The potential killer strain struck when the Philippine Volleyball Federation declined to participate in the South East Asian Qualification tournament in Quang Tri, Vietnam, June 14 to 16.

The event features Myanmar, Indonesia, Philippines and the hosts, with the winner advancing to the Asian Zonals leading to the Women’s World Championship next year. It is organized by the Asian Volleyball Confederation as a mandatory tournament for members.

Despite a $7,000 subsidy, full board and lodging, plus land transportation from the organizers, PVF president Generoso Dungo, citing lack of time and money, rejected the Vietnam tourney.  Dungo wrote the organizers May 26 that he is focusing instead on the country’s confirmed participation in the 17th Asian Senior Women’s Championships.

Hello! The Vietnam trip is almost free! What’s more appalling is that Dungo and his secretary general Oti Camangian did not know the import of the Vietnam Zonals and the repercussions for non-participation.

An exasperated AVC vice president Shanrit Wongprasert earlier wrote the Philippine Olympic Committee through first vice president Joey Romasanta. Wongprasert expressed disappointment with the present PVF Board and asserted that the AVC “has to take action,” meaning sanctions that could doom Philippine volleyball.

Wongprasert’s May 22 letter to Romasanta was a veiled warning: If PH doesn’t show up in Vietnam, it could be barred from any future AVC events.

As the AVC goes, so goes the Federation Internationale de Volleyball, the sport’s world governing body, effectively leaving us dead on our tracks when it comes to official overseas sorties.

Romasanta said he immediately presented the crisis to the POC board and the Philippine Sports Commission.

Without losing any more time, the POC fast-tracked a team for Vietnam to stave off disaster for PH volleyball.

The PSC promised to help find the balance for the team’s airfare. Rescue efforts were also exerted by the organizers of the recently concluded Shakey’s V-League and the four schools that figured in the championship series.

Fourteen players, 12 regular and two alternates were selected minus tryouts. But the lineup is not ragtag, assures Romasanta. It is comprised of V-League stars, including  series MVP Ruby de Leon, Alyssa Valdez, Suzanne Roces, and the towering Santiago sisters whose YouTube debut reportedly impressed American college scouts.

The team was accepted as the only authorized PH participant in Vietnam by AVC president Dr. Saleh Bin Nasser via a letter to Romasanta May 24—two days before Dungo even sent his reply to the AVC.

I gave Dungo opportunity for equal time. But he refused to talk and directed me to Camangian instead.

Like his boss, Camangian has opted to be as quiet as a mouse.