Alas Pilipinas-Japan clubs friendlies mark countdown to FIVB 2025 men’s worlds

MANILA, Philippines -- Back-to-back Olympic champion France and World No. 1 Poland lead the 32-nation field for the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship (MWCH), with solo host Philippines kicking off a year-to-go countdown with the Alas Pilipinas men and women engaging two top Japanese clubs in a weekend of friendlies at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.

“The ball is served!” said Ramon “Tats” Suzara, head of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation on Wednesday fresh from his election as president of the Asian Volleyball Confederation last Friday in Bangkok.

It will be a busy week for the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of the MWCH and first on the agenda will be the friendlies at the PhilSports Arena this Saturday (September 7) pitting the Alas Pilipinas Women against the Saga Hisamitsu Springs at 3 p.m. and the Alas Pilipinas Men against the Osaka Bluteon at 6 p.m.

All four teams return to the court following the same schedule also at the PhilSports Arena on Sunday (September 8) to conclude the friendlies that precede the much-anticipated Draw on September 14 at the Solaire Resort Hotel.

Tickets to the friendlies are available through Ticketmax.ph.

“It’s all systems go for the preparations heading to the world championship that will be marked with year-long activities including a Trophy Tour that would bring the MWCH trophy to key cities in the country,” Suzara said.

The Philippines, as host, is seeded along with reigning world champion Italy to the world championship set September 12-28 next year.

The FIVB announced the roster for the world championships with 15 slots filled through the continental championships last year and the remaining 15 completed just before the start of the one-year countdown to the prestigious tournament.

World No. 4 Slovenia is the third team from Europe to earn a world championship slot through the continental competitions, while world No. 3 USA, 11th-ranked Canada and No. 12 Cuba qualified from the North, Central America and Caribbean confederations.

Advancing from South America were world No. 7 Brazil, ninth-ranked Argentina and No. 45 Colombia, while world No. 6 Japan, 15th-ranked Iran and No. 21 Qatar head the