POC tells volleyball stakeholder to prioritize national interest

Volleyball stakeholders are all smiles after the Philippine Olympic Committee created the first step toward resoving the national federation’s issues. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Philippine volleyball stakeholders have pledged to put national team interests ahead of their clubs and schools as the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) moved closer to resolving the leadership crisis involving the suspended Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF).

The commitment emerged from a general assembly called by the POC on Monday morning at the Solaire Theater Board Room in Parañaque City, where all members of the suspended PNVF board also agreed to resign.

“That’s the first step, and they all agreed to resign,” POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said.

The POC has served as caretaker of national volleyball federation activities after the FIVB suspended the PNVF in May, primarily over governance issues. The Philippine Sports Commission and the POC also imposed sanctions on the federation.

Athlete representative

As part of efforts to ensure that national team duties take precedence over club and school commitments, stakeholders agreed to create a new 13-member PNVF board with broader representation.

The board will include athlete representatives from women’s beach volleyball and men’s volleyball, as well as representatives from the UAAP and NCAA, the country’s major collegiate leagues.

Their inclusion is intended to strengthen cooperation when the national federation calls on athletes for international duty.

“This is to introduce inclusivity and, more importantly, that the stakeholders prioritize the call of the national team,” Tolentino said.

Structural changes

Tolentino presided over the assembly with POC Secretary-General Wharton Chan, with close to 40 former board members and volleyball stakeholders attending.

Other structural changes were also approved, including the removal of the chairman position, the allocation of a board seat to the POC and a provision allowing the federation president to appoint the secretary-general.

Tolentino said all proposed amendments to the PNVF constitution were approved during the assembly.

The POC will convene another general assembly on Aug. 10 to discuss the next steps toward fresh elections for the federation as Philippine volleyball works toward establishing a new leadership structure.