WORK is ongoing at the San Fernando Convention Center to meet the standard as venue for the 21st Asian Senior Women’s Volleyball Championship in August.
Other matches will held at Subic Gym and Angeles University Foundation Sports and Cultural Center in Pampanga.
Pampanga Gov. Dennis Pineda and Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) vice president Arrey Perez met this week with Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF)president Ramon “Tats” Suzara to discuss the Aug. 29 to Sep. 5 event.
“Governor Pineda is excited and supportive to host the championship for the first time,” Suzara said.
“He would like to have grassroots program for the youth volleyball in Pampanga and asked the PNVF to help him with getting coaches.”
“Renovation of SFCC is ongoing to meet the international volleyball standards," Suzara said.
Jiangmen in China withdrew from hosting the championship’s 21st edition.
“We [PNVF] saw the opportunity and we grabbed it,” said Suzara, who will also be meeting anew with Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chairman and administrator Wilma Eisma.
The Philippines hosted the continent's top-tier women’s championship in 1997 and in 2017. The week-long tournament will also serve as a qualifier for next year's FIVB Women's World Championship to be hosted by The Netherlands and Poland.
Japan won the 2017 edition in Biñan, Laguna and bagged its fifth title two years ago in Seoul.
Thailand, the 2019 Southeast Asian Games gold medalists in 2019 and runner-up to Japan in the past two championships, is also expected to compete.
The Philippine team, which is making a return to continental play after missing the event two years ago, will start training in June.
"We expect our young players in the national team to be promising and to have good experience before the SEA Games in Vietnam," said Suzara, who was recently named secretary of FIVB's newly-formed Volleyball Empowerment Commission for the term 2020-2024.
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