PREPARATIONS are now in full swing nine months before the Philippines’ historic solo hosting of the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship from September 12 to 28 at the Mall of Asia Arena and the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The global conclave’s biggest edition yet will feature 32 of the world’s best volleyball nations taking flight in Manila, marking the first time in 11 years that the tournament was to be hosted by one participating country.
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Riding on the coattails of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) chief Ramon ‘Tats’ Suzara is optimistic that the Philippines will exceed expectations as it hosts another major sporting event.
“This is the time when the preparations and organization start to be meticulous every single day,” said Suzara, who was also named FIVB executive vice-president and Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) president in 2024.
“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.”
Suzara, chief implementor of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, furthered, “We’ve done it before and we’re expected to do it again.”
All hands on deck
Newly-appointed FIVB president Fabio Azevedo lauded the national government’s commitment to deliver yet another sporting spectacle to the world.
“It was fantastic to see how committed the President (Ferdinand Marcos Jr.) is in promoting volleyball and it’s as fantastic to see the volleyball euphoria in the Philippines,” Azevedo said.
Back in April last year, the first top level organization meeting for the FIVB MWCH 2025 was held at Malacañang, led by First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos and William Vincent ‘Vinny’ Araneta Marcos, co-chair of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC), along with Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco.
The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) would later oversee the tournament’s first Inter-Agency Technical Working Group Meeting which also included core LOC officials in Senator Pia Cayetano, Manny V. Pangilinan, Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino and PSC chairman Richard Bachmann.
Among major activities to be held in the nine-month buildup to FIVB MWCH 2025 are the International Road Show spread over the first half of the year, Mascot Contest and Launch, Trophy Tour, Media Broadcast Conference, Team Managers’ Meeting, Test Event, and 100-Day Countdown in June.
Alas Pilipinas Men, by virtue of being tournament hosts, were drawn to Pool A with 2024 Asian Championship runner-up Iran, reigning African titleholder Egypt, and 11-time African champion Tunisia — the nationals’ opening-day opponent on September 12, 7 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena.
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