Members of the Alas Pilipinas men’s volleyball team along with coach Angiolino Frigoni during the FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship draw. –PNVF PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) is shifting its preparation into a higher gear for the country’s historic hosting of the FIVB Men’s World Championship 2025 from September 12 to 28 at SM Mall of Asia Arena and Smart Araneta Coliseum.
With nine months left, the PNVF bared its busy schedule for the first-ever men’s volleyball world championship in the country where the top 32 teams compete in Manila including Alas Pilipinas.
Significant activities will precede the world championship, including the International Road Show spread over the first half of the year and Mascot Contest and Launch, Trophy Tour, Media Broadcast Conference, Team Managers Meeting, Test Event and 100-Day Countdown in June.
“This is the time when the preparations and organization start to be meticulous every single day, it’s the world championship year of the FIVB and as host country for first time—and solo host at that—the mission borders from an excellent to almost perfect hosting of the event,” said Asian Volleyball Confederation and PNVF president Tats Suzara in a news release.
Suzara, who is also the executive vice president of the FIVB, is confident that the country can replicate the successful hosting of the Fiba World Cup 2023.
“We’ve done it before and we’re expected to do it again,” said Suzara.
Alas Pilipinas is slated in Pool A with 11-time African champion Tunisia, current Africa titlist and Paris Olympian Egypt and 2024 Asian championship runner-up Iran.
World No. 1 Poland is in Pool B with Romania, Qatar and The Netherlands, while Volleyball Nations League champion France was grouped in Pool C with Korea, Finland and Argentina; the United States in Pool D with Colombia, Portugal and 2010 silver medalist Cuba; Slovenia in Pool E with Chile, Bulgaria and 2014 bronze medalist Germany; 2022 world champion Italy in Pool F with Algeria, Belgium and Ukraine; Libya, European league 2023 winner Turkiye and Canada in Pool G; and Brazil, 2024 Challenge Cup winner China, Czech Republic and Serbia in Pool H.