THOUGHTS | THE MEN'S VOLLEYBALL SITUATION

FROM GMA SPORTS

My dad isn’t into the NBA or the PBA. The only basketball he really cares about is the UAAP—whether it’s the seniors, women’s, or juniors’ division. He actually knows more about that than I do. Still, basketball only comes second for him. His real love is volleyball. Pro leagues, UAAP tournaments, or international matches—if it’s volleyball, you’ll find him glued to the TV.

Yes, a television set.

And that’s the thing: even with volleyball getting more attention these days, most fans still prefer to watch from their couches with the fridge nearby rather than deal with traffic and the hassle of going to the venues. That’s why this whole 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship mess feels a bit strange to me.

What really caught my attention wasn’t the tournament itself, but the issue of free speech—or rather, the lack of it when it came to critical coverage.

This week alone, the Jimmy Kimmel situation managed to unite Democrats and Republicans. Ted Cruz, despite being the butt of many jokes, nailed it when he said that tampering with free speech is a dangerous game.

The same lesson applies to volleyball.

Men’s volleyball is on the rise, sure, but it still lags behind basketball and even women’s volleyball. For years, volleyball has been the women’s counter to basketball. They get the endorsements, the modeling contracts, the visibility.

The men are catching up, but can they overtake basketball?

That’s a stretch.

Which brings me to the Philippine National Volleyball Federation. By punishing news outlets, they’re cutting themselves on a double-edged sword. How do you justify staging a two-billion-peso event with low attendance because of overpriced tickets? At a time when politicians and contractors are being criticized for overpricing, they’re hosting a world championship that sometimes resembles a Terrafirma game crowd-wise.

Is this why they’re revoking media credentials?

Out of embarrassment?

Or worse, to cover something up?

Yes, Alas Pilipinas finally scored their historic first tournament win against Egypt. But the bigger question is—will Filipinos rally behind the rest of the teams? Another issue here is accessibility. These days, major sports events rarely land on free TV. And with the MVP Group holding the rights, you can’t just catch the games on Facebook or YouTube anymore—you need to subscribe to their media platforms.

Look, these things happen. FIFA and the Olympics have left countries in economic ruin before. Hosting big tournaments comes with risks, and if turnout is bad, the organizers should just own it. Instead of silencing reporters, they should focus on promoting the event better. Because right now, Southeast Asia isn’t exactly reassuring for foreign visitors—the flood control fiasco in the Philippines, Indonesia struggling with similar issues, and Thailand and Cambodia butting heads.

Shit happens. But the last thing the PNVF should do is alienate the sports media.

If anything, they need those voices on their side.