BEACH VOLLEYBALL. Local beach volleyball players from Ilocos Norte show what they got after being updated of the new rules and regulations. The first season of the pro volleyball league will kick off on July 17, 2021 at the Laoag Centennial Arena to be participated by 15 teams from various parts of the country. (Contributed photo)
LAOAG CITY – The province of Ilocos Norte is ready to host the first season of the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) with 12 teams participating in the two-month long tournament that will kick off on July 17.
As a sports enthusiast, Governor Matthew Joseph Manotoc said Friday the province is lucky to have been chosen by the PVL as venue of its maiden season.
For the safety of the players, organizers and all those involved in the competition, the PVL Laoag bubble will be held at the Ilocos Norte Centennial Arena where only the players, coaches, officials and utility personnel will be allowed inside, said Helen Rose Domingo, provincial sports development officer, on Friday.
She said the inaugural pro season of the PVL will be led by powerhouse teams Creamline Cool Masters and F2 Logistics Cargo Movers. The competition will be broadcast over its new television home, Cignal TV.
However, Domingo said the league has yet to finalize their target arrival in the province including the schedule of matches which will run for seven to eight weeks.
Even before the pandemic, Ilocos Norte has already started building its name as a sports tourism capital of the north, hosting various national and international competitions.
According to Manotoc, Ilocos Norte remains to be a safe haven for teams to train, either professional or those from the national teams, even at this time of the pandemic that more and more are now looking to travel to the province and hold their bubble practices.
Just recently, the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) teams TnT Tropang Giga and Meralco Bolts had their bubble trainings here and they look forward to coming back again anytime soon.
“We want to establish Ilocos Norte as the sports tourism capital of the north. If there’s anyone interested and we have the facilities, I’m all for it. My real passion is sports,” Manotoc said in an earlier statement. (PNA)
