(Seated from left): Saga Hisamitsu Spring  head coach Shingo Sakai Laurent Paul Andre Tillie Head Coach Osaka Blueteon, Ramon Suzara AVC and PNVF president, Alas men head coach Angiolino Frigoni, Alas women head coach Jorge Edson Souza De Brito  and PNVF secretary-general Donaldo Caringal. (Standing from left): Erica Sakai,Saga and Miyu Nagaoka of Saga Hisamitsu Spring; Yuji Nishida of Osaka Blueteon; Kim Malabunga and Michaelo Buddin of Alas men and Dawn Macandili Catindig and Jen Nierva of Alas women.

Games Saturday:
(PhilSports Arena)
3 p.m. – Alas Pilipinas women vs Hisamitsu Springs
6 p.m. – Alas Pilipinas men vs Osaka Blueton

The countdown to the 2025 fivb volleyball men’s world championships starts now.

The Philippines hosts two Japanese ball clubs in the Alas Pilipinas Invitationals on Saturday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City to kick off a year-long countdown for the historic hosting of the 32-team world tourney in September 2025.

Serving as the opening salvo for the week-long celebration before the official World Championship Draw on September 14 and a kickoff concert to be hosted by Malacañang on September 15, the Alas Pilipinas men play six-time Japan V.League titlist Osaka Blueton, formerly Panasonic Panthers, in back-to-back games Saturday and Sunday as part of their long build-up.

The Alas Pilipinas women will also have much-needed exposure ahead of their own tournaments by slugging it out against nine-time Japan V. League champion Saga Hisamitsu Springs on the same dates.

But more than the games and exposure for Filipino players, the Alas Pilipinas Invitationals will be a milestone for the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) headed by newly-elected Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) president Ramon “Tats” Suzara – ahead of an even bigger breakthrough next year.

Apart from the Philippines hosting the men’s world championships, Thailand will host the women’s worlds in August 2025 to mark history for Southeast Asia.

“This is the first time for Southeast Asia to host both divisions. This is history for SEA. My new role as AVC president is to have a closer relationship with our Asian counterparts and as well as with Europe, Africa and the Americas,” Suzara said.

“In this Alas Invitationals, we will play strong teams from Japan so we’re excited and grateful for their time,” he said. “This will be eye-opening friendlies for our Filipino fans, like in the VNL, and ahead of the world championships.”

The two-day joust against the Japanese teams comes on the heels of Alas Pilipinas’s historic bronze-medal finish in the Southeast Asia V.League, leaving no stone unturned in its world championship preparations that will also include a training camp in Italy.

“We have to practice and play as much as possible against international teams,” said Alas men head coach Angiolino Frigoni, the former mentor of the powerhouse Italian women’s team before taking the helm for Alas men.

“This is a very big opportunity and challenge for our players. I hope they will not be afraid to play against players and teams they normally see only on TV,” he said. “I hope it will be useful for us for the world championships next year.”

One of the most notable standouts who will stand in the way of Alas men led by captain Kim Malabunga and Buds Buddin is Japan national team star Yuji Nishida as he banners the Osaka squad under the watch of ex-France mentor Laurent Paul Andre Tillie.

Erika Sakae and Miyu Nagaoka, meanwhile, will headline Hisamitsu, the 2022 V.League champion, under the tutelage of Shingo Sakai.

And the Filipina spikers are ready to stand their ground, even against the powerhouse Springs.

“It’s an honor and a big opportunity for the Alas women trying to keep growing which is always important. It’s important for us to improve our game, especially against strong teams and players from Japan,” said Alas women coach Jorge de Brito, joined by captain Dawn Macandili-Catindig and Jen Nierva.

Kly Orillaneda and Gen Eslapor will be back in action in Nuvali

THIRTY-EIGHT teams—21 men and 17 women—from 16 countries, including four Philippine pairs, are seeing action in the sixth leg of the 2024 FIVB Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures that starts Thursday at the Nuvali Sand Courts by Ayala Land in the City of Santa Rosa.

The towering pair of Ran Abdilla and AJ Pareja and the Rancel Varga-James Buytrago duo lead the country’s charge in the men’s main draw with Kly Orillaneda and Gen Eslapor and Alexa Polidario and Jenny Gaviola defending the fort in the women’s side.

The tournament—one of 36 legs calendared by the FIVB and Volleyball World for the Futures event—is the second event organized by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation inside a week after the Asian Volleyball Confederation Beach Tour Nuvali Open that ended Sunday also at Nuvali.

“It’s another four days of elite volleyball action,” said PNVF president Ramon “Tats” Suzara of the event backed by Smart Communications, Santa Rosa City Mayor Arlene Arcillas, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Asics, Senoh, Mikasa, Foton Motor Philippines Inc. and Seda Nuvali.

Competing in the men’s division are Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary, Japan, Malaysia, Sweden, Thailand, Turkiye, Latvia and New Zealand.

Entered in the women’s contest are USA, Canada, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Lithuania, New Zealand, Sweden, Germany, Latvia, Malaysia and Thailand.

The Futures is one of six major

 international tournaments the PNVF calendared for this year that will be highlighted by the Volleyball Nations League Men’s Week 3 at the Mall of Asia Arena from June 18 to 23.

Also on the PNVF international calendar are the 5th AVC Challenge Cup for Women (May 25-June 1, PhilSports Arena), 4th Southeast Asia V League Women’s Week 2 (July) and Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Challenge (November 28-December 1, Nuvali).

The Philippines is the solo host of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship 2024.