AVC international referee Adams Wong officiates a PVL semifinal game between Akari and Choco Mucho.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
ANTIPOLO — As promised, Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) international referees will officiate the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference semifinals and the championship series for parity and to take the games to the next level.
For the first time in PVL history, the league tapped foreign referees, with Hong Kong national Adams Wong being the first referee with Filipino international referee Joy De Imus of the first semifinal game between Akari and Choco Mucho on Saturday at Ynares Center Antipolo.
“As promised before we started the conference, we decided to get neutral referees from AVC. These are international referees — one from Thailand and one from Hong Kong. They’ll be helping us with officiating. The good thing about this is they don’t know any team and coach [in the PVL],” said PVL Commissioner Sherwin Malonzo.
SCHEDULE: 2025 PVL All-Filipino Conference SEMIFINALS
PVL commissioner Sherwin Malonzo says the foreign referees will officiate the games until the finals. #PVL2025 @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/zlppJkKH9J
— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) March 29, 2025
Malonzo said that Thai Butsarin Hmogmungmuang will officiate the Creamline-Petro Gazz semis game with Jocelyn del Rosario.
The international referees will be officiating until the end of the season, as the league fulfills its promised parity and game innovation.
“Initative ‘to ng league to show na for one, gusto natin maging world-class. We’re hoping that we go to that level,” he said.
READ: PVL semifinals preview: Creamline’s drive for five faces familiar foes
PVL commissioner Sherwin Malonzo says AVC International Referees will take the #PVL2025 games to another level. @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/8zvzHn6n7z
— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) March 29, 2025
“In terms of may pinapanigan ba or wala, wala naman tayong pinapanigan. I hope they don’t get that notion. That’s why we brought them in to reinforce na wala tayong pinapanigan.”
Some semifinal games last year were marred with controversies last year including PLDT’s unsuccessful net fault video challenge as it fell short to Akari in their 2024 Reinforced semis knockout game. In the first All-Filipino Conference semis last year, Petro Gazz wasn’t pleased with one crucial call in the game, which it lost to eventual finalist and champion Creamline.
The top two teams of the semifinal round-robin will advance to the best-of-three All-Filipino championship series.