PNVF chief Tats Suzara voted AVC president

PNVF president Ramon “Tats” Suzara is the new AVC president. MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

PNVF president Ramon “Tats” Suzara on Friday was elected the new chief of the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC), the continental governing body for volleyball.

Suzara will serve a four-year term as the ninth president and only the second Filipino—after Nemesio Yabut who was president from 1976 to 1979—of the AVC.

“The greatest boost shall be derived from the region’s grand tradition and rich history in volleyball,” Suzara said in a press lease. “The legacy of inspiring wisdom and nurturing leadership of previous administrations will be carried on, even as the AVC story continues to unfold.”

READ: Tats Suzara hopes PH VNL hosting motivates Filipino volleyball players

Suzara earned 48 votes to win by landslide over his lone opponent, Qatar’s Ali Ghanem Al-Kuwari, who got 15 out of the 63 total votes—20 made by proxy and with Brunei and Mongolia a no-show in the 25th AVC General Assembly, Congress and Election at the Grand Fourwings Convention Hotel.

He succeeded Indonesia’s Rita Sibowo, who headed the organization for the past Olympic cycle from 2020 to 2024.

Suzara was accompanied in the Congress by his Philippine National Volleyball Federation chairman Dr. Arnel Hajan, vice president Ricky Palou and secretary-general Donaldo Caringal.

READ: PNVF wants ‘stable’ PH women’s volleyball program

Suzara’s election came almost a year before a milestone solo hosting by the Philippines of the FIVB Volleyball Men World Championships in September next year.

Also elected in the AVC were first senior executive vice president Craig Carracher of Australia, executive vice president Mohamed Latheef of Maldives, secretary-general Hugh Graham of Cook Islands, treasurer Marina Tsui of Hong Kong and internal auditor Hasan Alfransiny of Bahrain.