MANILA, Philippines – Preparations take on a new dimension on New Year’s Day, Wednesday, January 1, as the first standalone staging of the FIVB Men’s World Championship (MWCH) 2025 in the Philippines draws closer.
Thirty-one of the world’s best Volleyball nations, from a roster of 32 teams, will set foot on Philippine soil for this world championship which will take place from September 12 to 28 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena and Smart Araneta Coliseum .
Ramon “Tats” Suzara, president of the Philippine Volleyball Federation, said: “This is the time when the preparations and organization become meticulous every day.”
“This is the year of the FIVB World Championship, and as a first-time host country — and on our own — our mission oscillates between excellent and near-perfect organization of the event,” added Suzara , who was elected in 2024 president of the Asian Volleyball Confederation and executive vice-president of the FIVB.
Malacañang also boosted confidence about a potentially memorable edition of MWCH 2025 during the first high-level meeting at the Palace, which took place on April 30, 2024, chaired by First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, with William Vincent “Vinny” Araneta Marcos, co-president of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC), alongside Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, also president emeritus of the PNVF, and the Minister of Tourism, Christina Garcia Frasco.
This commitment was expanded during the September One Year Countdown and Raffle, followed by the “Concierto sa Palacio”, a musical evening organized in the Malacañang courtyard, attended by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the First Lady as well as the young Marcos, in the company of senior officials of the FIVB and the LOC.
Fabio Azevedo, then FIVB general secretary and now president, praised the presidential family’s enthusiasm for volleyball and sport as a whole.
“It was fantastic to see how committed President (Marcos) is to promoting volleyball, just as it is impressive to see the euphoria of volleyball in the Philippines,” said Fabio, who offered President Marcos a painting by Slaven Dizdarevic, a Slovak Olympic athlete, during the “Concierto.”
Government involvement in the world championship was also launched with the first meeting of the Inter-Agency Technical Working Group, initiated by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) last November at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
The Local Organizing Committee for MWCH 2025 also includes Senator Pia Cayetano, Manuel V. Pangilinan, Philippine Olympic Committee Chairman Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, and PSC Chairman Richard Bachmann.
“We have done it before, and we are expected to do it again,” said Suzara, who was in charge of the joint organization of the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2023.
Important activities will take place ahead of the world championship, including an International Road Show planned for the first half of the year, a mascot competition and launch, a trophy tour, a media conference, a meeting of directors of team, a test event and a 100 day countdown in June.
The Philippines will find themselves in Group A alongside 11-time African champions Tunisia, current African champions and Paris Olympians Egypt, and 2024 Asian Championship finalists Iran.
The world ranking is dominated by Poland, which leads Group B, which also includes Romania, Qatar and the Netherlands. France, champion of the Volleyball Nations League, is at the head of Group C with Korea, Finland and Argentina. The United States is in Group D, with Colombia, Portugal and Cuba, silver medalist in 2010; Slovenia is in Group E with Chile, Bulgaria and Germany, bronze medalists in 2014; Italy, 2022 world champion, is in group F with Algeria, Belgium and Ukraine; and in Group G, Libya, winner of the 2023 European league, Turkey and Canada. Finally, Group H includes Brazil, winner of the 2024 Challenge Cup, China, the Czech Republic and Serbia.
Preparing for this event is a major challenge for the development of volleyball in the Philippines. Beyond the organization, it is the opportunity to strengthen the passion for this sport among the local public and to attract more international attention. What future impacts can we envisage for Philippine volleyball following this championship?
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