FILIPINO-born volleyball star Jaja Santiago, now known as Sachi Minowa, is ineligible to play for the Japan national women’s volleyball team based on a new FIVB rule that will prohibit her from shifting to another federation.
Newly-elected Asian Volleyball Federation president Ramon “Tats” Suzara said yesterday in the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum that Santiago cannot don the colors of the Land of the Rising Sun due to a FIVB ruling that was implemented last year.
“I want to explain to you the rule. Jaja is now a Japanese citizen, I heard she’s married, but there was a new rule last year by the FIVB that if you played in the national team of another country, you cannot transfer to another federation anymore… even if Jaja has two passports,” Suzara said. “I’m sure she has a Philippine passport, and she has a Japanese passport, the federation of origin is still the Philippines.”
In the FIVB Sports Regulations Change of Federation of Origin, May 2024 version, it says that “A player’s Federation of Origin may be changed if the player has not represented the senior national team of the Federation of Origin; however, it may be changed only once. Changes of Federation of Origin may be approved only by the FIVB Executive Committee, upon proposal of the FIVB President, and provided that the right to be heard of the current Federation of Origin has been respected.”
The 6-foot-4 spiker had previously seen action for the Philippines in the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games, and FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championships.
Last month, Minowa, who married Akari Chargers coach Taka Minowa and had been playing for the Japan SV.League since 2019, revealed on social media that she has obtained a Japanese passport.
According to Suzara, FIVB allowed players to transfer federations before, citing the case of Filipino-Hawaiian Kalei Mau, but things have now changed.
“So, when you change federation, one-time lang iyan (before), once na nag-change ng federation hindi na puwedeng bumalik sa old federation mo, so what happened now,” he said. “I don’t know if you remember Kalei Mau, so she changed federation, she has an American passport, dual passport (holder), then she changed federation one time, so right now the federation of origin of Kalei Mau is Philippines but her passports are Philippines and USA, so she cannot change federation anymore, Philippines (only). So, every time she plays abroad, she has to ask permission from the Philippine federation.”
