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| (Image Source: Rappler.com) |
In 2020, the Premier Volleyball League held the distinction of becoming the first volleyball league in the Philippines to become professional after securing a license from the Games and Amusement Board (GAB). As the summer season rolls on amidst the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, the PVL is all gearing up for its return to action in its first season as a professional sports league which is without question an important chapter in the history of Philippine volleyball following the formal establishment of a new organization - the Philippine National Volleyball Federation, Inc. (PNVFI) - overseeing the development of the sport and the national men's and women's volleyball teams. And I can assume that volleyball fans across the country are looking forward to the league's newfound resumption.
Through the years, volleyball is slowly gaining ground in the Philippine sports scene which began with PVL's early days as the Shakey's V-League fostering aspiring volleybelles from different parts of the country to UAAP where many women's volleyball players have evolved and developed into future stars of the sport such as Alyssa Valdez, Aby Maraño, Jia Morado and more. Now, after years of hardwork and endured challenges, the brightest stars of Philippine volleyball will have the chance to shine even further now with the staging of PVL's maiden season as the first professional volleyball league in the country while the dreams and fantasies of volleyball fans in and out of the country will be realized and fulfilled with twelve teams comprising what is expected to be a much-anticipated sports league to watch out for in the pandemic game.
Prior to GAB's approval of its application as a professional league, the PVL comprised of six teams - Bali Pure Purest Water Defenders, BanKo Perlas Spikers, Creamline Cool Smashers, Choco Mucho Flying Titans, Petro Gazz Angels and Philippine Army Lady Troopers. In the first few months of 2021, five teams from the Philippine Superliga have confirmed to become part of the league including Cignal HD Spikers, PLDT Home Fibr, Chery Tiggo Crossovers, Sta. Lucia Lady Realtors, and F2 Logistics Cargo Movers which would eventually become a top trending topic on social media. Completing the 12 teams in PVL's maiden season as pro is the Unlimited Athletics Club (UAC) Power Hitters. These teams have undergone intensive bubble-style training in a designated venue with strict safety and health protocols intact, but several players have performed their own training routines in the safe comforts of their homes as shared on social media.
The PVL 2021 season is slated to kick off with the Open Conference which will take place inside the INSPIRE Sports Academy Gymnasium in Calamba City, Laguna utilizing the bubble-type concept with games to be played six times a week. In a virtual press conference held last March 18, 2021, SportsVision president Ricky Palou stated that the Open Conference is tentatively supposed to start on May 7 but may move the opening date to the last week of May due to the requests of the teams for more practice and preparation time which is deemed understandable in my case. There will also be a Reinforced Conference in the coming months following the successful staging of the Open Conference as well as the national women's volleyball team's newly-forged presence in international competition, but the league's Collegiate Conference is yet to push through due to the limitations and restrictions mandated against the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the PVL Collegiate Conference won't be left out as plans for the resumption of the conference to be rebranded as V-League are set to be disclosed in the foreseeable future.
Speaking of Philippine Superliga, after the success of the 2021 Gatorade PSL Beach Volleyball Cup which saw the final appearances of Cignal, PLDT Home Fibr, Chery Tiggo, Sta. Lucia and F2 Logistics prior to their transfer to PVL, PSL looks to focus on developing aspiring volleyball players and molding them into potential future stars of the sport that can represent the Philippines in the international volleyball scene but remains keen on gearing up for its resumption considering that it will be 'green-lighted' by national government and health authorities and adhere to safety and health protocols that will assure the protection of athletes from the negative effects of the pandemic. Anyway, it seems that Philippine volleyball is on a good roll with the resumption of the PVL on the horizon and we are looking forward to see if the first professional volleyball league in the Philippines can put on a good show and withstand the foreseeable challenges brought about by the pandemic.
For more news and updates on the upcoming 2021 season of the Premier Volleyball League, visit ESPN5.com as well as @OneSportsPHL and @PVLph on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Catch all the action of the Philippines' first professional volleyball league soon on One Sports (free TV channel 41, Cignal channel 6, SKYcable channel 59) and One Sports+ via Cignal TV and Cignal Play.
