FOR ONE strange reason or another, sports has a unique way of either dividing or unifying Filipinos, depending on the level of competition.
Take the case of the fifth edition of the 2024 Asian Women’s Volleyball Challenge Cup, the annual international volleyball tournament organized by the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) with the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF). It started on May 22 and will end on May 29.
Just a few weeks prior to the staging of the AVC Cup, we witnessed how Filipino volleyball fans were pitted against each other as they supported their favorite teams in the Season 86 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and the All-Filipino Conference of the Premier Volleyball League (PVL).
Filipinos now find themselves rallying behind the hastily-formed Alas Pilipinas, the national women’s team composed of college standouts from the UAAP and professional players from the PVL. Even the members of the national team who have been accustomed to being on-court rivals are now playing on the same side of the volleyball court, wearing the national jersey.
As the Alas Pilipinas outclassed one team after another during the elimination round to sweep Pool A, Filipinos momentarily forgot their UAAP or PVL colors and passionately cheered for the national team. The fans inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex were definitely the “seventh woman” on the team as they showed the Pinoy’s own definition of home-court advantage – intimidating for the opponents and morale-boosting for our very own national team.
I don’t know if you have already been caught by the volleyball bug, touted as the new favorite past time in the country today. Believe me I always find myself emotional whenever I watch the highlights of the AVC Cup games. I have been used to all forms and levels of swag displayed by players during the UAAP and PVL matches. This time around, I see former adversaries on the same side, cheering and celebrating every single point that each member delivers for the team.
Imagine these images on my TV screen as I watch and rewatch the game highlights – De La Salle Archer Thea Gagante and UST Tigress Eya Laure manning the net defense, Creamline’s Jia de Guzman giving a zero-tempo set to Akari’s Fifi Sharma, rising star Angel Canino joining multi-awarded Sisi Rondina for the offensive power, or former college team mates-turned-professional foes Faith Nisperos and Vannie Gandler now reunited to achieve one goal. For the love of the sports and for national pride and honor, court rivalries and even personal differences are set aside.
I remain hopeful with the eventual placement of Alas Pilipinas when the AVC Cup 2024 finally ends not only because we have made it to the semi-finals for the first time, or that we are now up in the latest FIVB world ranking, from No. 63 to No. 55 and now No. 8 in Asia. Despite the limited time in forming the national team, we have once again proven that the country is not lacking in talent and skills. Even the foreign coaches in the PVL and the highly-bashed national coach Jorge de Brito are one in saying that there is enough volleyball talent to keep the national team going.
If volleyball fans and even players can put aside their differences, don’t you think it is high time that our national sports officials and organizations stop the unwanted bickering and unnecessary politicking in Philippine sports? They should put their act together and lobby for a budget that will sustain grassroots volleyball program and sufficient government support for our national sports teams. If they can all just work together and remain committed to that ultimate goal, who knows? Asia now, the World tomorrow!
