MANILA – The Premier Volleyball League (PVL) and the Philippine Superliga (PSL) are mulling the creation of a unified tourney expected to tipoff once the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis in the country is over.
According to PSL president Dr. Ian Laurel, the two commercial leagues have expressed full commitment and they have been in the tables since 2019 to plot a competition that Filipino fans have been wishing to see.
Laurel said: “We are working towards a common goal of hopefully unifying volleyball and merge the PSL and PVL. We have been on a series of meetings since December last year, to January and February. Unfortunately, we were halted by COVID-19.”
“I cannot say at what percent we are towards our goal kasi there are still things that we need to settle like the officiating and the tournament format, among others. But I can say that both parties are one-hundred percent committed to working together,” he added.
The officials of the two competitions
are leaning towards an All-Filipino format after considering the availability
of foreign imports during the pandemic.
“It will be an All-Filipino tournament,” Laurel said. “All-Filipino tayo kasi it’s difficult na may import kasi we’re not yet sure if the countries where the imports will be
from have their own travel restrictions or travel ban.”
All the PSL teams that participated in the suspended Grand Prix are willing to
join the merged competition.
PVL president Ricky Palou, for his part, proposed that only the top four teams
from each league will participate in the merged tournament.
“PSL wants all the teams involved. I met with the team owners before all of this noong January. The feeling of the team owners ng PVL na eight teams ay masyadong mahabang tournament. “They are looking for a shorter tournament,” Palou said.
“Maybe ‘yung top four teams lang ng PVL and PSL, and we will not play each other anymore kasi nga may ranking na rin naman sa mga liga para it will be a shorter tournament. Around two weeks siguro,” he added./PN
