SOME of the brightest global stars in the sport will grace local shores in the Philippines’ historic debut hosting of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship.
With fan favorite teams like Japan, Italy, and the United States set to compete, Alas Pilipinas libero Josh Ybañez hopes that Filipino fans will still root for the Nationals and come out in force during their games.
“Sana naman supportahan kami ng lahat ng mga Filipinos,” he said.
“Siyempre, may USA, mga ganyan, favorite din yun ng mga Pinoy, so sana supportahan nila kami.”
Of course, playing in the biggest men’s volleyball competition on home soil comes with immense pressure and an even greater responsibility to deliver the best possible results.
"It’s an honor for us na ma-represent yung Philippines for the first time sa World Championship. Sabi nga, history ito and happy ako na for sure, I’m gonna learn so much from our opponents and sa liga na 'to,” the two-time UAAP MVP said.
“‘Yung pressure, constant talaga yun eh. Laging nandun yun, kahit hindi yung World Championship yung nilalaruan ko,“ he added. "Lagi pong may pressure kaya ine-embrace ko lang and mas minamahal ko lang yung ginagawa ko.”
The Philippines will test its luck in a stacked pool of Asian and African powerhouse teams in Tunisia, Egypt, and Iran.
READ: Alas' opening FIVB Worlds foe Tunisia left without top scorer
For Ybañez, however, he carries the hope that the country’s long-term vision of raising the bar for Alas Pilipinas' national teams and Philippine volleyball altogether will come into fruition.
“Sana mas tataas pa, lalo na sa men’s, yung level ng sistema ng volleyball sa Philippines,” he said. “Sana naman mas maraming mga youth na magvo-volleyball. Mas maraming ma-inspire na maglaro ng volleyball.”
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