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    Romasanta says he won't stand in way of volleyball leadership change

    LVPI president welcomes leadership change, but demands US$80,000 refund from FIVB
    Jan 18, 2021

    LARONG Volleyball sa Pilipinas Inc. president Joey Romasanta said he is no longer eyeing any position in the soon-to-be formed body that will take the place of the LVPI as the duly recognized national sports association for volleyball.

    Ramon 'Tats' Suzara is set to become the interim president of the new volleyball NSA under an agreement brokered by the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) head Rep. Bambol Tolentino acting on the request of the FIVB.

    Other positions are allotted equally to all the volleyball stakeholders including the LVPI for the January 25 election at the East Ocean Seafoods Restaurant in Parañaque City. The new NSA will hold its nomination of candidates on Wednesday.

    Romasanta, the founding president of LVPI, said he is leaving it up to the new leaders to carry the torch, saying he has already done his part for Philippine volleyball.

    “Itong pagpapalit ng liderato at bagong organisasyon, it’s a welcome development para sa akin,” said the 76-year-old sports official. “More than 35 years na ako sa national sports. In the case of volleyball, tapos na yung mission ko sa volleyball. Binigyan ng slot ang LVPI, it’s now up to the stakeholders to take care of the sport.”

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    The LVPI chief said he is accepting the changes upon the request of the FIVB Director General Fabio Azevedo to POC Tolentino since neither the LVPI or the Philippine Volleyball Federation (PVF) is recognized by the world body.

    “Wala akong problema doon. Naiintindihan ko lahat yan. Itong effort na ito pinapasalamatan ko nga rin sila president Tolentino at saka si [POC secretary-general] Atty. Ed Gastanes para sa effort na yan,” he said.

    “Okay ako diyan if this is something that will solve 'yang wala nang katapusang bangayan sa volleyball and if it will bring peace to the community and allow the sport to really grow. Tulong-tulong na lang yan regardless of personalities.”

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    Romasanta, however, is demanding a refund of the $80,000 which he said the LVPI paid to the international federation for its 'provisional' recognition as the governing body of Philippine volleyball.

    “May problema lang ako with FIVB kasi noong ni-recognize kami ng FIVB, nag-impose na sila ng conditions, one of which is bayaran ko daw yung utang na $80,000 ng previous federation ng Philippines,” the former Gintong Alay head said.

    “We complied with all of those conditions, binigyan kami ng recognition ng board of administrators ng FIVB, signed by no less than the president, recognizing LVPI as the sole governing body for both indoor and beach volley.

    “Sinulatan ko sila, nag-demand din ako na isauli niyo naman yung pera namin. How they’re going to do it? I don’t know. Tama lang naman na mag-demand naman ako for the return because kung hindi sila nag-impose ng conditions na nakasulat, eh wala lang,” he added. “Sila tumanggap ng pera, sila nag-demand sa amin ng bayad na hindi naman namin utang, binayaran namin in exchange for recognition.”

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      Romasanta said he won't stand in the way of a leadership change in the sport, in the hope that it will be good for Philippine volleyball.

      “Ang prinsipyo ko up to now is that nobody should stand in the way of anything better. Basta siguraduhin nyo lang, it will serve its purpose and it will be better than the previous,” Romasanta said.

      “So kung sa feeling ko may nagawa naman ako sa volleyball, that will be a challenge na i-improve niyo pa iyan na maging. No.1 tayo sa babae, maging No. 1 sa lalaki sa SEA Games. Mapalago pa natin.”

      “Lahat naman yan matagal na sa volleyball. They would know what to do, they would know which buttons to push, it’s just [a matter of] finding the right buttons to push to benefit the sport," he said.

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