LVPI hopes to get full membership with international federation

FILE–LVPI chairman Peter Cayco. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines–Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas Inc., on Thursday said it is optimistic that the FIVB (international federation) would eventually grant full membership and clear its status once and for all.

LVPI president Joey Romasanta, vice president Peter Cayco and secretary general Ariel Paredes said they welcome the report that FIVB is sending a five-man team to observe the state of volleyball in the country.

For FIVB to grant full membership, it should be approved by 2/3 of its general assembly. Romasanta said FIVB is set to have a GA next month where they are hoping LVPI’s status will be finally taken up.

LVPI has presented voluminous documents to FIVB regarding its membership pic.twitter.com/AcnKGRQsD7

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The membership, according to Romasanta, has been brought up in two previous GAs. But during the first time the decision was deferred, while in the second time it failed to get the required number of votes.

“They have all the documents they needed, and we have complied with all the conditions they set for us back in 2015,” said Romasanta.

Among the conditions were payments of past due to the FIVB amounting to $90,000, staging of FIVB-sanctioned meets and sending national teams to international competitions.

LVPI, composed of major stakeholders of volleyball, has been running sport since 2015 when it sent a team to the Southeast Asian Games for the first in 10 years.

The FIVB has re-stated the LVPI’s provisional status in a letter where its general director Fabio Azevedo also noted that Philippine Volleyball Federation “has lost all its rights except for affiliation.”

Expected to arrive in the country next month are FIVB officials Jizong Wei, Cristobal Marfe Hoffiz, Stephen Bock, Jaime Lamboy and Azevedo.

The Asian Volleyball Confederation also torpedoed the PVF’s attempt to send team to the AVC championships.

In a letter by AVC general manager Ruengsak Siriphol, the body maintained that PVF “has been suspended by FIVB since 2015,” therefore it can’t make any representation on behalf of the country.