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| (Image Source: Manila Standard/Sports Vision) |
Despite minor concerns along the way, the launch of professional volleyball in the Philippines proved to be successful when it comes to managing its staging amidst the continuing threat of the COVID-19 pandemic with the Chery Tiggo Auto Crossovers earning the distinction as the first champions of the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) under a professional setup. The league turned professional in late 2020 on the premise it has enough women players to make the move and turn the sport to new heights.
But it took a lot of effort of making the turnaround a reality with Sports Vision citing the help and cooperation of Ilocos Norte which offered to host the launch in a "bubble" setup and under league guidelines and restrictions in consonance with measures imposed by the local government unit with the health, safety and well-being of each player and delegation the top priority. Sports Vision expressed its gratefulness to Games and Amusements Board (GAB) chairman Baham Mitre and Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Manotoc for ensuring the smooth conduct of the PVL Open Conference and commended the support of Ilocos Norte First District Representative Cong. Ria Christina Farinas and Bacarra Mayor Fritzie Ann Kaye Gapasin which took over the hosting of the five-week tournament inside the PCV Socio-Civic & Cultural Center. The PVL's first professional tournament held inside a friendly but highly-competitive environment also encapsulated the need of an outlet for athletes during the global health crisis and, at the same time, proved that professional sporting events can take place under safe and controlled conditions.
Sports Vision also praised TV5 Network Inc. and Cignal TV Inc., headed by President and CEO Robert P. Galang and Vice-President for Channels and Content Management Sienna G. Olaso, for providing the link between the tournament and the fans in "closed-door" setup via live broadcast of the games on One Sports, One Sports+ and Cignal Play. Cignal TV, in fact, stated that it has crafted a solid plan for the league throughout their partnership run for the next three years. Sports Vision mostly acknowledged the cooperation of the participating teams - Chery Tiggo, Creamline, Petro Gazz, Choco Mucho, Sta. Lucia, Black Mamba Army, PLDT Home Fibr, BaliPure, Perlas, Cignal HD - which all committed themselves for the next conference as well as the fans, whose absence in live games remain solely missed by the players, who draw inspiration and energy from them.
Though they can't be in attendance, fans stayed glued to their television screens and other platforms during the course of the Open Conference which eventually led to the league's booming and blooming on the stretch of the staging of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. “With a pandemic-friendly environment, all our hard work that has been invested has paid off. We’re so relieved to have successfully launched the inaugurals despite the challenges during this pandemic. This will only push us to work harder to guarantee the continued success of this unified pro league in the years to come," said Sports Vision President Ricky Palou.
