Volleyball: Majority of PSL team owners not in favor of turning pro

MANILA, Philippines — While turning professional is an option for the Philippine Superliga (PSL), most team owners would prefer for the league to remain in status quo.

The PSL is considered a “semi-professional” league and is regulated by neither the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) nor the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC). 

In October, PSL commissioner Ian Laurel hinted that the league is trending towards turning professional, especially as they have been in communication with GAB chairman Baham Mitra. “The direction is definitely going there,” Laurel said at the time.

According to PSL chairman Philip Ella Juico, however, that move remains in the distant future, especially with team owners not quite in favor of turning pro.

“Perhaps. It depends on the situation. It depends on so many things,” said Juico during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum on Tuesday.

“Although, seven of our eight team owners, recently, said we should not go that path,” he revealed. 

“We should stay where we are, because a lot of the facts that are being used to apply to us are not different facts, when it comes to the PSL. We have, ika nga, alternative facts.”

Juico’s sentiment is similar to that of Premier Volleyball League (PVL) organizer Ricky Palou, who recently told ABS-CBN News that it will be up to their team owners if they turn professional. Palou is admittedly reluctant to make the move, however.

“Ang laki na ng ginagastos ng teams tapos dadagdagan pa ng gastos sa mga permits of the GAB and all that,” he pointed out.

Juico, for his part, noted that the PSL was able to receive approval from the Inter-Agency Task Force to hold a beach volleyball tournament despite not being a professional league. 

The IATF had previously granted pro leagues such as the PBA, the Philippines Football League, and Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3×3 the clearance to resume training and competitions despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re the only organization that has managed to claw our way up in the approval process. It’s a very difficult process,” Juico said. “It took us five months.”

“Only the pro leagues — football, 3×3 and PBA — have been given approval to practice and launch competitions. We’re very happy with that. It’s a distinction we’re very proud of,” he added.

The PSL initially scheduled its Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup for late November, but decided to reschedule the competition to February 2021 in the wake of Typhoon Rolly.

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