FILE–Philippine men’s national volleyball team for the AVC Challenge Cup. –PNVF PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine men’s volleyball team is participating in the Asian Games for the first time in 49 years but the women’s squad won’t be in Hangzhou 2022 from September 19 and October 7.
The men’s national team was slotted in Group F with Southeast Asian Games champion Indonesia, Volleyball Nations League bronze medalist Japan, and Afghanistan during the draw of the 19 squads for the Asian Games in China.
Host China bannered Group A with Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Asian Games Defending champion Iran headlined Group B with Nepal and Bahrain.
Runner-up South Korea is slated with India and Cambodia in Group C. Pool D features world No.44 Chinese Taipei, Pakistan, and Mongolia, while Pool E is comprised of world No.21 Qatar, AVC Challenge Cup champions Thailand and Hong Kong.
NO WOMEN’S TEAM
FILE – Philippine women’s volleyball team during the 2018 Asian Games. POOL PHOTO
The Philippine women’s volleyball team, which participated in the Asian Games in 2018, will not participate in the continental meet this year, according to Philippine National Volleyball Federation president Tats Suzara.
“We are not sending a women’s team [in the Asian Games],” Suzara told Inquirer in a text message.
Inquirer Sports asked Suzara about the reason but he has yet to respond as of posting time.
The women’s squad, which will be bannered by National University and college players, will participate in the Southeast Asia (SEA) VLeague from August 4 to 6 in Vihn Phuc, Vietnam, and in the 2nd leg from August 11 to 13 in Chiangmai, Thailand.
The men’s team, which is bannered by Marck Espejo, Bryan Bagunas, and Steve Rotter, is hosting the second leg of VLeague in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
The Filipino Spikers won the historic silver medal in the 2019 SEA Games before settling for fifth place in the next two editions.
The Philippines placed 10th in the AVC Asian Challenge Cup for Men in Taiwan and finished winless in the first leg of the SEA VLeague in Jakarta last week.