FILE–Japan team in the VNL Manila leg. –CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Volleyball Nations League (VNL) men’s competition is set to return in the Philippines next year on July 4 to 9 with eight teams seeing action.
After successfully hosting the men’s and women’s tournaments, the VNL announced its return to the country in 2023 with the Week 3 of the men’s tournament staging in Pasay City.
Crowd-favorite Japan is set to play again on Philippine soil with China, Slovenia, Brazil, Poland, Italy, the Netherlands, and Canada.
Yuki Ishikawa , Tatsunori Otsuka, Yuji Nishida, and Ran Takahashi competed in front of Filipino fans last June at Smart Araneta Coliseum, where champion France also played.
The country also hosted the women’s edition, which includes powerhouse teams United States and Japan.
The Philippine National Volleyball Federation will only bring the world-class men’s competition next year.
The VNL men’s tournament opens from June 6 to 11 in Ottawa, Canada, and Nagoya, Japan, while the women’s matches start on May 30 and June 4 in Ankara, Türkiye, and Nagoya
The final stage is slated from July 12 to 16 for the women’s competition, while the men’s final is from July 19 to 23. The VNL will announce the host cities next month.