THE proposed Alas Pilipinas Draft will no longer push through in its original form.
That is, if the explanation of a high-ranking official is to be believed.
PVL president Ricky Palou shared with SPIN.ph on Friday that he will urge the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) to scrap the initial proposal and instead, take a different approach in recruiting young players for the national team.
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Rather than holding a draft involving rookie prospects, Palou is pushing for the federation to directly reach out to players it wants to include in the Alas Pilipinas program and ask if they are willing to join.
That contrasts the earlier proposal, should it be the case, with players now having the option of declining the national team invitation.
“Mali ‘yun, [the first proposal] was misunderstood. Hindi naman kasali ang PNVF sa draft. Sinasabi ko kay Tony Boy [Liao] na lahat ng player na gusto niyo ilagay sa national team, kausapin niyo na,” Palou said, referring to PNVF president Tony Boy Liao.
“Kung ayaw, ayaw. If they don’t want to play in the national team, what can we do? Kapag pumayag, good. Kapag hindi pumayag, wala tayong magagawa.
“We can’t convince them to join. We just have to give them good options.”
However, players who accept an invitation to join the national team program will no longer be eligible to participate in the PVL Rookie Draft.
'Best possible opportunities'
Asked about the possible financial and playing opportunities players might forego by committing to the national team, Palou said the federation is working to provide comparable compensation and incentives.
He also assured that players in the program will continue to see action even during periods without national team competitions.
“Ibibigay namin ‘yung best opportunities sa kanila. We will provide for that. Marami kaming plano for exposure for these players. May mga kausap kami sa Korea, sa Japan to keep our players active pa rin,” Palou said.
The 2026 PVL Rookie Draft is scheduled to take place in early June.
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