Dream Come True, Alas Victory at Last! Boost to Sports Tourism – Tolentino

THE monumental victory of Alas Pilipinas at the FIVB Men’s World Championship on Tuesday night was a dream come true and an accomplishment that will surely elevate the landscape of Philippine volleyball.

“It was a dream come true,” said Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino on Tuesday, the day after the Philippines made world volleyball history by beating Egypt, 29-27, 23-25, 25-21, 25-21, before a raucous big crowd at the SM Mall of Asia Arens.

Egypt has the credentials to be a big fish landed by the world championship first-timer Philippines—nine-time African champion with a best-place 13th spot in the 2010 world championship where it saw action for 11 times and a six-time Olympian and was ninth in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.

“These men have etched their names in volleyball history and their victory would surely be an inspiration and motivation for the next generation to emulate as role model,” said Tolentino, who added that Philippine sports have swiftly gone elite starting with Hidilyn Diaz Naranjo’s gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Carlos Yulo’s double gold performance in Paris last year.

“It’s all about setting goals and working very hard to achieve those goals,” said Tolentino, a member of the board of the Local Organizing Committee of the country’s first-time and solo hosting of the world championship.

“It was a long shot, we never aimed that high for Alas Pilipinas in this world championship, but they overachieved,” he said. “I commend the PNVF [Philippine National Volleyball Federation] for this achievement and the support of the entire sports community in this success.”

Tolentino reiterated” “To build champions, it takes the entire community—the government, the Philippine Sports Commission, the private sector, the Filipino fan, to name a few.”

He also stressed that with the victory, the Philippines has earned another niche in the global volleyball and sports family.

“Two birds with one stone—we won in a world championship and the sports tourism campaign got another major boost,” he said.

Thirty-one of the world’s best volleyball playing nations—each with entourage numbering close to 50 each, not counting fans and family members—are in town for the worlds.

“Sports tourism and this is one solid platform to boost this campaign,” he said.

POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino with FIVB president Fabio Azevedo during the opening ceremony last Friday at the MOA Arena. PNVF Photo