The Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) has decided to push back the Asian Senior Women's Volleyball Championship to May next year due to the resurgence of coronavirus cases.
As per the suggestion of the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC), the PNVF postponed the continental tournament, which was originally scheduled to be hosted by the country from August 29 to September 5.
The PNVF considered an October reschedule but the AVC asked the national sports association to move the biennial meet, which serves as a qualifier for 2022 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship, to May next year.
Continental powerhouse teams like China and Japan initially withdrew from the Asian championship due to varying reasons.
"It will be good for the organizer to have the leading teams of Asia to participate in this championship," said AVC president Rita Subowo in a letter to the PNVF.
The top two teams from the Asian championship will advance to the Worlds.
Meanwhile, the FIVB proposed to use continental rankings to determine the two qualified teams for the Worlds, with China and Japan clinching their berths as the top two in Asia.
The remaining qualified teams will then be selected based on their world ranking.
On the other hand, the Philippine Sports Commission has given the PNVF the thumbs up for its proposed national team for volleyball and beach volleyball. (READ: No Valdez as Santiago leads 2021 PH women’s volleyball pool)
Last August 17, PNVF got the approval of the PSC for its quota of 20 players for each of the men and women volleyball teams and eight players for each of the men and women beach volleyball squads.