PHILIPPINE National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) president Ramon ‘Tats’ Suzara said volleyball has overtaken basketball as the country's most popular sport.
READ: Has volleyball replaced basketball as the national pastime?
Suzara made the assertion during the introduction of the 14-woman pool who eventually will constitute the women's national volleyball team, christened as Alas Pilipinas, set to compete in the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup, one of five international volleyball tournaments to be hosted by the Philippines between now and the end of 2025.
The PNVF chief shared how business tycoon and sports patron Manny V. Pangilinan was astonished by the immense growth of volleyball in the country.
“Number one ang volleyball ngayon na spectator sport sa Pilipinas, hindi na basketball,” said Suzara.
“Sinabi ko ‘yan few days ago kay boss MVP (Manny V. Pangilinan). Sabi niya, 'Bakit ang dami namang (nanonood?) 46,000 [fans] in one day?’ Sabi ni boss MVP sa’min. Sabi ko, 'It's a family entertainment sport, ang volleyball — all ages, families, boyfriends and girlfriends, father and mother.’ It's a sport that's really pang-family.
“The excitement is there and with all these events ng volleyball happening from next week and in June, we have the VNL (Volleyball Nations League), and then we have the FIVB Challenger Cup [sa July] so sunod-sunod na ang excitement,” he added.
And from Suzara’s vantage point, basketball banks on players’ experiences whereas volleyball puts a premium on fans’ experiences.
“Without television and you, the media, social media, volleyball will not be there right now and the fan experience ang importante. If you will see the difference, in my experience, the basketball, FIBA World Cup was more on the players' experience but for volleyball, it's the fan experience.”
Suzara added: “Players cooperate to the fans, lumalapit sila, they welcome interviews. So I think, it makes volleyball now the number one sport in the world, ‘yun lang ang masasabi ko, and in the Philippines, of course.”
History in the making for PH volleyball
Now with its own moniker after nine years, Suzara also underscored how the women's national volleyball team reached a new milestone in the formation of an ecletic player pool featuring the cream of the crop not only in the pro ranks but also from the college game as well.
"This is a historic moment that the national women's (volleyball) team, Alas Pilipinas women's national team will be presented to the media. This is also the first time also after so many years that we have mix of young players from the UAAP with the PVL players, professional players," said Suzara.
"Again, this would be a very good lineup for the coming days and, of course, we will do our best to play and to qualify for the FIVB Challenger Cup and hopefully, in the future, in the Volleyball Nations League.
"We present them today and appreciate all other sponsors for helping the women's national team to make this dream come true."
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