Patriot coach Racelis grabs chance to be an Asian International Referee

DLSU-D men’s volleyball coach Joven Racelis is among the 19 candidates who passed the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) International Beach Volleyball Referee Candidate Course. The course which aims to mold the next generation of beach volleyball referees in Asia was held from October 1 to 7 in Valaya Alongkorn Rajabhat University, Pathum Thani, Thailand.

“Siyempre, naluha ako. Kasi may mga bumagsak. Suwerte ko kasi mag-isa lang akong Pilipino [na] nakalusot. So ‘yon, continue pa rin ang pagbabasa kasi learning is a lifetime [experience], sabi ng instructor [namin],” Racelis shared when asked about his reaction to the results.

Being one of the two nominees from the Philippines, the coach’s candidacy was made possible when he was nominated in a world tour which opened in Manila on May of this year. There were 19 candidates across different countries in Asia, all of whom have passed.

As per Racelis, the test has given him a chance to be an Asian International Referee if he complies with the requirements, which can be leveled up to Federation Internationale De Volleyball (FIVB) international referee.

“May FIVB international referee, sila ‘yong pumipito ng Olympics. Sa Asian ay ‘yong para sa Asia lamang. Pero ‘pag FIVB ka na, whole world ka na,” he clarified. He furthered that he has plans to pursue being a FIVB referee if given a chance.

“’Pag narating at na-nominate ulit, why not? Pero for now, [the goal] is to inform or share what is beach volleyball sa buong Pilipinas,” he shared.

According to the AVC website, the course is intended to hone the knowledge of the referee candidates and accord them with various sports trends. AVC was spearheaded by the Thailand Volleyball Association and opened on October 1. The Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) is the governing body in the Asia Pacific and Oceania for the indoor sports such as beach and grass volleyball.