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MANILA, Philippines – The Volleyball Premier League officially turned pro on Friday, a move that team owners and players received as “timely” that they expect the league to resume in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The PVL, which was previously identified as a “semi-professional” league, was hit hard by the global health crisis as they were unable to hold a single tournament in 2020. Organizers now hope to hold a new season in February or March. 2021.
Under the terms of the joint administrative order signed by the Board of Games and Amusements, the Department of Health and the Sports Commission of the Philippines, only professional leagues, such as the PBA, the Philippine Soccer League and now the PVL, can run contests.
“This will have to be with the help of GAB,” said Ricky Palou of Sports Vision, the organization that organizes the PVL. “We will need to get approval from the IATF (Interagency Task Force) to resume our practices and our games.”
“I think the chairman of (GAB) (Baham) Mitra is ready to help on this,” he added.
Mitra assured PVL organizers, team owners and players that they are ready to help the league, and not just in terms of obtaining the necessary permits from the government so that they can finally resume competition.
The GAB was instrumental in helping the PBA, PFL and Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 to resume their tournaments this year, even with quarantine restrictions. Both the PFL and the 3×3 Chooks have already completed their competitions in strict “bubble” configurations. The PBA, meanwhile, is in the middle of the 2020 Philippines Cup playoffs in Clark, Pampanga.
“You have a partner who walks the road with you if you need anything from the government,” Mitra said. “We will try to help him in our own way.”
“Dati, they are dating without any government agency working with them,” he also said. “They were not under the PSC, and they were not under the GAB either. Now, we have already accepted them, masaya po kami na kasama namin sila sa pamilya.”
“Our mandate is to ensure the well-being of our stakeholders, that is why we will be there,” emphasized Mitra.
Players and team owners welcomed the development, and Charo Soriano of BanKo Perlas called it “very timely”.
“Professionalizing ourselves can only help us to be better together,” he said. “This connotes that players can choose volleyball as their primary career and since then that has been the ultimate goal for us.”
“At this time, we can already provide the opportunity for players to choose volleyball as their career,” he added.
Creamline star Alyssa Valdez said it was “another milestone” for Philippine volleyball that can only help the ever-growing sport reach a different level.
“Sir Ricky and Ate Cha (Soriano) said that every volleyball player has something to look forward to. We have a new motivation,” added the “Phenomenon.”
Now that the PVL is the latest league to turn pro, the Beach Volleyball Republic (BVR) and the Spikers’ Turf will follow suit in the near future.
Soriano, who organizes the BVR, confirmed that they are also taking steps towards the professionalization of the league although he acknowledged that they have not yet reached the same traction as indoor volleyball.
“But we are considering the steps towards professionalization, and we have spoken with Sir Baham about how these steps can help the young sport of beach volleyball,” he explained.
Sports Vision’s Tony Boy Liao also confirmed that Spikers’ Turf will apply for professionalization in the coming months.
“We plan to talk to the teams as well and recommend the idea of going pro,” Palou said.
Volleyball Premier League, PVL, Volleyball, Games and Amusement Board, GAB, Baham Mitra
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