A familiar face in the local volleyball scene is back to head the newly formed association for the sport.
Ramon “Tats” Suzara, a veteran organizer of sports events, including volleyball tournaments, was elected president of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation Inc. (PNVFI) in elections held on Monday at the East Ocean Seafood Restaurant in Parañaque City.
Mr. Suzara ran unopposed in proceedings participated in by different stakeholders in the country.
“I will do my best as the new president,” Mr. Suzara said following the elections overseen by the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC).
“But I am not the only one that is part of the new federation. I have the board and the other stakeholders who are there to support. We are doing this to help lift Philippine volleyball,” he added.
Mr. Suzara, representing the Alliances of Philippine Volleyball Inc. (APVI), was joined in the list of elected PNVFI officers by Arnel Hajan of the Philippine Volleyball Federation (PVF), who was voted as vice-president.
Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas Inc.’s (LVPI) Ariel Paredes, meanwhile, was elected chairman while Donaldo Caringal was named PNVFI secretary-general.
Rod Roque is the treasurer and PVF’s Yul Benosa the auditor.
Elected to the board were Ricky Palou, Tony Boy Liao, Karl Chan, Charo Soriano, Carmela Gamboa, National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Fr. Vic Calvo and POC representative to the board Atty. Wharton Chan.
“We are thankful to all the stakeholders. We’ve been longing for this and the true winner here is Philippine volleyball,” POC President Abraham Tolentino said.
The election was the POC’s response to the request letter from the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) asking the former to supervise an election among volleyball stakeholders in the country at the soonest possible time to settle once and for all the issue on who gets to officially represent the Philippines in the federation.
LVPI was recognized by the POC since 2015 as the national federation for the sport, but was contested by the PVF.
But neither of the groups were recognized by the FIVB.
The FIVB in its letter to the POC reiterated the need to elect a “legitimate NSA” lest the country risk not being able to send national teams to FIVB-sanctioned tournaments.
A total of 31 of 32 registered voters cast their votes in the election proceedings.
The POC executive board has calendared for Wednesday the approval of the result of the PNVFI elections with the group to be officially recognized during the POC general assembly on Thursday.
From there the POC will submit an official report to the FIVB for the international federation to recognize the PNVFI. – Michael Angelo S. Murillo
