LARONG Volleyball sa Pilipinas Inc. President Joey Romasanta formally wrote the International Volleyball Federation, known by its French acronym FIVB, last Jan. 12 to clarify the LVPI’s status as the sole National Sports Association for the sport in the country.
“We are respectfully seeking clarification as to the status of Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas, Inc. which has been existing since as the sole governing body for both indoor and beach volleyball in the Philippines by virtue of an FIVB Board of Administration decision last May 12, 2015 which was communicated to the undersigned on May 18 2015 and duly signed by no less than the FIVB President Arcy Graca,” Romasanta wrote FIVB director general Fabio Azevedo.
“LVPI is also an active member and duly recognized by the Asian Volleyball Confederation,” Romasanta added.
The letter was coursed through China’s Wei Zhizong, former FIVB president and adviser to the board of administration; Asian Volleyball Confederation president Rita Subowo of Indonesia, and former AVC secretary general Shangrit Wonprasert of Thailand.
The three international volleyball officials are all associates of Ramon “Tats” Suzara, who formed the Alliances of Volleyball Philippines Inc., and attended the dialog of local volleyball stakeholders arranged by POC president Rep. Bambol Tolentino over the weekend at Shangri-la Hotel.
Romasanta, the former Philippine Olympic Committee first vice president, said yesterday he was compelled to write the world volleyball body in the wake of efforts by Tolentino, claiming he has the FIVB’s blessings, to form a new NSA for the discipline in the country.
Tolentino initiated the meeting despite the fact that LVPI remains a regular member of the POC.
The POC chief expressed the hope that elections for the NSA could be held before the end of the month and have it recognized by the POC general assembly in time for the FIVB’s first online Congress from Feb. 5 to 7.
While still awaiting the FIVB’s reply as of yesterday, Romasanta said he also wrote the organization that if the LVPI’s recognition was withdrawn “what happens to the USD 80,000.00 that LVPI paid to FIVB to cover the indebtedness of the then Philippine Volleyball Federation plus other considerable expenses incurred by LVPI in hosting events and participation in international tournaments as part of the conditions set by FIVB/AVC to LVPI in exchange for LVPI recognition? “
