MANILA, Philippines — As the Philippines seeks a competitive run, it also aims to show the country’s best when it hosts the Asian Men’s Volleyball Club Championship next week.
The 16-nation tournament kicks off with the Philippines, represented by the PLDT Home TVolution team, battling Mongolia at 2 p.m. on Tuesday at Mall of Asia Arena.
Actor and sportsman Richard Gomez is part of the local squad that also includes JP Torres, Ronjay Galang, Jeffrey Malabanan, Alnakaran Abdilla, Jason Ramos, Rodolfo Labrador and Australian reinforcements Cedric Legrand and William Robert Lewis.
A welcome dinner on Monday night followed by the 12 noon opening ceremony the next day also usher in the series of activities lined up by organizers Philippine Volleyball Federation, Sportscore and PLDT Home Fibr.
Asian Volleyball Confederation chair Hyungbin Yim heads the foreign delegation along with Japanese Tetsuya Ozaki and Masahiro Masuoka.
Welcoming the participants in various events are Makati mayor Junjun Binay and Pasay City mayor Antonino Calixto, along with Philippine Sports Commission chair Richie Garcia, former PSC chief and organizing committee chair Philip Ella Juico, Philippine Volleyball Federation president Karl Chan and secretary general Otie Camangian and Philippine Superliga president Ramon Suzara.
Mentored by national coach Francis Vicente, the Power Pinoys are bunched with Iraq and Mongolia in Pool A.
Iran, Japan, Lebanon and Vietnam clash in Pool B, while Pool C pits Qatar, Kazakhstan, Oman, Hong Kong and Turkmenistan.
China leads Pool D teams United Arab Emirates, Papua New Guinea and Chinese Taipei. Jasmine W. Payo