The MPVA men's volleyball tournament gets its first edition on November 14 in Biñan, Laguna, and the Maharlika Pilipinas Volleyball Association is making homegrown talent the centerpiece of the competition.
Commissioner Michael Tavera said the revised format gives local players more chances to represent their own local government units, with only a handful of guest players allowed on each team.
MPVA men's volleyball shifts to homegrown rosters
"We've changed our program for the men's league to focus more on homegrown players. Previously, we had only about three homegrown players per team. Now, we have around 12 to 14," Tavera said at the weekly Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Philippine Sports Commission media room.
He added that most of the players who will see action will come from the LGUs, while only a few will be guest players. The league did not specify exactly how many guest slots each roster may carry.
Tavera and Dr. Ian Laurel, chairman and president of Athletic Events and Sports Management Inc., were joined at the forum by representatives of some of the competing teams. The forum was presented by San Miguel Corporation, the PSC, the Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO and Arena Plus.
Eight teams open the inaugural season in Biñan
Eight teams will compete in the first men's tournament: Bacoor, Biñan, Caloocan, Marikina, Nasipit, Negros Oriental, Rizal and San Juan.
The league will follow a double-round robin format, and Tavera said the competition is expected to conclude by the end of January. That gives teams a long schedule to test lineups built mostly from their own communities.
Why organizers greenlit the men's competition
Laurel said organizers were encouraged to launch the men's league after learning that local men's tournaments were drawing significantly more teams than their women's counterparts.
"We were surprised when they unanimously told us that their local men's tournaments attracted far more teams than the women's competitions. The women's division might have four or five teams, while the men's division could draw 20 or more teams and fill their arenas," Laurel said. "We realized this was the right time to hold the competition."
Laurel said the tournament also aims to strengthen ties between athletes and their communities by letting players compete in front of family members, friends and neighbors.
"That means players' families, neighbors and friends can watch them represent their communities. That's the connection we're trying to build among the fans, the community and the sport," he said.
PNVF partnership widens the scouting net
Laurel said the league's partnership with the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) would help widen the talent search ahead of future international competitions for Alas Pilipinas.
"We are in partnership with the PNVF and it will be a way of casting a wider net for scouting talent," he said.
The immediate test for MPVA men's volleyball comes on November 14 in Biñan, where the expanded homegrown rule will be visible from the first serve. With a double-round robin schedule running to the end of January, teams will get a long look at players who might otherwise have gone unnoticed.
The original report on the inaugural MPVA men's tournament appeared on philstar.com.
