WHY I BELIEVE PVF WILL LOSE ITS RECOGNITION FOR GOOD WITH THE FIVB BA

courtesy of en.wikipedia.org

I have said it before and I will say it again. Philippine Volleyball Federation  (PVF) will lose its recognition from FIVB for good if FIVB Board of Administration (BA) will have its way.

One merely has to read the 35th FIVB World Congress Working File to realize that the top brass of Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) and FIVB really pushed for the expulsion of PVF. With a single letter from POC President Jose Cojuangco Jr., FIVB, in a week's time, withdrew its recognition from PVF. FIVB officials led by Graca, did not bother to study and evaluate the situation carefully and hastily gave its recognition to Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas Incorporated (LVPI) which was endorsed by Cojuangco and Tats Suzara. FIVB cites Article 1.3.4 b in its constitution to justify the expulsion of PVF. But the said Article is wrongly applied to PVF since PVF is not anew applicant and was previously recognized by POC for the last 54 years. Hence, the Article cited by FIVB in expelling PVF is wrongly applied.

At World Congress in Argentina, the more than 200 member nations saw with their own eyes how FIVB Honorary Vice-President and BA member Wei Jizhong lawyered for POC and LVPI. Instead of maintaining neutrality, Wei blatantly campaigned for LVPI and succeeded in causing a commotion during Congress to protect LVPI. In the end, PVF representatives agreed to the creation of an ad hoc committee.

And this was the biggest mistake that PVF committed during World Congress.

The creation of an ad hoc committee paved the way for the same FIVB and AVC officials who campaigned actively for LVPI to decide the fate of PVF once again. At World Congress, what prevented the final expulsion of PVF from FIVB were the 200+ member nations, not the FIVB and AVC officials like Wei, Nasser, Wongprasert, Hoffiz and others. Bringing back the decision to the hands of these AVC and FIVB officials through the FIVB BA is a kiss of death for PVF. These officials will certainly not admit that they are partisan and will stand by their decision of withdrawing recognition from PVF than to admit their mistake.

To make things worse for PVF is that LVPI is so busy in forming national teams for the Asian Senior Championships and 2017 SEA Games. Once the ad hoc committee arrives in Manila and sees the active work of LVPI, members of the ad hoc committee will surely rule in favor of LVPI. PVF, instead of being highly visible with activities that will show its great promotion of volleyball in the country is unusually quiet these days. PVF President Boy Cantada seems to be so sure of victory for PVF when the ad hoc committee starts its investigation in Manila. Little does he realize that, from all indications, the decision is already a done deal and in favor of the other group if FIVB BA will have its say.