PHILIPPINE volleyball renaissance reaches a new high with the coming ‘Spike For Peace Women’s International Beach Volleyball,’ a five-day indoor beach volley tournament on Nov. 29 to Dec. 3, spearheaded by the The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) at the PhilSports Arena.
The event that drew teams from Canada, Brazil, Thailand, New Zealand, USA, Australia, Spain, Netherlands, Japan, China, Thailand and Indonesia, offers a total prize money of $25,000. The winning duo pockets home $8,000, with the runner-up geting $5,000.
PSC chairman Ricardo Garcia said the government sports agency is still awaiting the nod of China, Indonesia, and Thailand, but added the rest have all confirmed their attendance.
“We expect tough-level competition in the event,” said Garcia, who was one of the guests in Tuesday’s session of the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at Shakey’s Malate.
“It will be an exciting thing seeing indoor beach volleyball in the country. Walang kontra tiyempo kahit umulan, whatever, tuloy pa ring ang mga laban natin.”
The PSC chief said the Philippines will field a team or two culled from both the Shakey’s V-League and the Philippine Superliga, with the sport’s governing body the Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas Inc. (LVPI) deciding on the names of those who are going to comprise the Philippine side.
“But we are inviting for Alyssa Valdez to play,” added the PSC chairman, referring to the Ateneo Lady Blue Eagles superstar considered as the no. 1 volleyball player in the country today.
Depending on the success of inaugural staging of the tournament, Garcia said it could be a yearly event.
“If we are successful this year, we will do it again (next year) so that we will now become part of the international leg of beach volleyball,” said the PSC chief.
Also appearing with the Chairman at the forum was Eric LeCain, the PSC consultant on beach volleyball. LeCain said pool play among the participating team will comprise the first two days of the tournament.
“And then the top eight (teams) move to the quarters. Once the quarters is done, they will be split into two groups, with the top four playing in the semis, and then they play the final event with four matches on the last day,” he said.