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Philippines, 25 Nov 2024 |
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INSIDE SPORTS - WHERE WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL ALL STARTED By Ronnie Nathanielsz PhilBoxing.com Sat, 22 Mar 2014  One of the realities of life is that sometimes what good men and women sow, others reap. This isn?t intrinsically bad but at least when it happens, there must be an effort to recognize those who ploughed the field and spread the grain. It's true in the ordinary course of life as it is true in sports. Take women?s volleyball for example. The recent UAAP Championships between eventual winners Ateneo and arch rivals De La Salle University who were aiming for a four-peat, drew massive crowds to the Mall of Asia and matched the unbridled frenzy that usually marks the basketball showdowns between the Blue Eagles and the Green Archers. The ratings were bordering on the phenomenal. Of course to a large extent one has to recognize the remarkable ability of the giant broadcast network ABS-CBN to promote and market an event across its many platforms, like no other. Years of experience in carving a leadership position in the entertainment industry on television has been effectively transferred to the network?s promotion of its various sports events, with the men and women who run the network deftly projecting the absolutely entertaining dimension of sports. In the resounding success of the UAAP Women?s Volleyball Championships over ABS-CBN, many sports aficionados have perhaps forgotten that it all began with an intrepid bunch of passionate lovers of basketball who embarked on a committed effort to develop women?s volleyball. Their vision led to the creation of the Sports Vision Group Inc. which was headed by the late PBA Commissioner Jun Bernardino - a wonderful human being whom we will always remember with fondness and painfully miss even today. Another icon in basketball on the administrative side who stood alongside Jun and today serves as chairman of Sports Vision is Mauricio ?Moying? Martelino, former FIBA Asia secretary general and Basketball Association of the Philippines secretary general who is respected internationally for his contribution to basketball and his charming manner which accentuates his deep knowledge of sports. Then there is a player of considerable skill in his youth, Ricky Palou, whose manner reflects that of a ?cool dude in a loose mood.? Nothing can rattle Ricky whose pleasant disposition and willingness to help those who seek his assistance and understanding reflects the similar attributes of Bernardino and Martelino and a dedicated backroom staff that love what they do and take joy in whatever they achieve. These then are the unshakeable pioneers in women?s volleyball whose partnership with Shakey?s which was formerly owned by the eminent businessman-sportsman Leo Prieto has stood steadfast through the years. Indeed, the vaunted V League may have been embraced by ABS-CBN years ago but sound business sense indicated it would be difficult to attract sponsors to a league branded in such unmistakable fashion. The integrity of the men of Sports Vision left no room for them to abandon Shakey?s for bigger financial opportunities and so it is that they continue today, nursing a partnership that has seen eleven successful seasons in the process quietly expanding its horizons. For the first time the Shakey?s V League will have twelve participating teams when it opens a new season tomorrow at the air-conditioned San Juan Arena which is an ideal venue for volleyball and whose public awareness and recognition was largely promoted by the Shakey?s V League which, no doubt, was helped greatly by the positive attitude of the local government officials of San Juan through the years. With teams allowed to have foreign or guest players, the standard of volleyball in the Shakey?s League has surely reached new heights with the presence of Southwestern University of Cebu, St. Louis University of Baguio and Davao?s Lady Agilas providing an added and exciting dimension of a truly nationwide tournament. We recall that in years past when the government network NBN Channel 4 telecast the games which were replayed by Viva Sports on its cable network, the fan following especially in the Visayas and Mindanao was more than encouraging. The games are currently telecast on a delayed basis over GMA News TV and, quite honestly we have no idea of what the ratings are like but suffice it to say, GMA News TV itself has earned a name for what it does and hopefully it will help grow the following of the Shakey?s V League. While La Salle is not a participant thereby depriving fans of the kind of passion that marked their recent UAAP showdown with arch rivals Ateneo, the mere presence of Ateneo and the awesome presence of UAAP season and Finals MVP Alyssa Valdez plus the many other stars such as Michelle Morente, Denden Lazaro, Jia Morado and Ella De Jesus augurs well for another exciting season. The lineup of challengers is formidable with National University, Adamson, UST which always has tremendous support from its students, many time NCAA champions San Sebastian, Perpetual Help and Far Eastern University all eager to shoot down the Eagles and bring them back to earth. No matter the results are, the game?s the thing and in this context it is only fair and just that the public realize and pay tribute to the indefatigable efforts of the pioneers of women?s volleyball ? the men and women of Sports Vision and the Shakey?s V League ? for the incredible growth of the sport. Its time to remember - it all started here! Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.  |
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