LVPI chief: No easy reboot for volleyball

Aby Maraño and Grethcel Soltones said they have never stopped working out with their teammates via Zoom. The same goes for fellow superstars Alyssa Valdez and Mika Reyes.

They swore they are keeping themselves in shape during the quarantine, and they all can’t wait to get back into the court.

The getting-back part might take some time.

As different sports very slowly try to restart, things will be a bit complicated for volleyball.

Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas Inc. (LVPI) president Joey Romasanta on Wednesday said a lot of factors will come into play when rebooting a sport that has become a household name like basketball.

“To start with, how do teams begin to practice? They can do Zoom training and workout, but how about actual plays; it’s going to be complicated in terms of safety,” Romasanta said.

The former Gintong Alay chair added that if and when the leagues push through with plans to hold matches without an audience, it could affect the level of play of the spikers who are used to big crowds and adoring fans.

“It is a spectator sport; audience is very important for these players,” he said.

Another issue is corporate support, which is an integral part of volleyball, particularly in club leagues like the Philippine Superliga and the Premier Volleyball League.With the damage brought to businesses by the coronavirus, sponsorships of club teams and tournaments may take the thrift route.

“I guess for the whole of sports, there is a change in nature,” Romasanta said.