ALAS Pilipinas will bring its act overseas in the next two months, with the world championship-bound Alas Men competing in the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Men’s Nations Cup in Bahrain from June 17 to 24.
The Alas Men were drawn in Pool B of the Bahrain competition with Qatar, Vietnam, Australia, and Kazakhstan, with the host country being bracketed in Pool A with Indonesia and Thailand and South Korea, Vietnam and New Zealand grouped in Pool C.
The AVC Men’s Nations Cup will be held after the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) holds the Alas Pilipinas Invitationals—part of preparations for the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship the Philippines is hosting from September 12 to 28—from June 10 to 12 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The draw was held during the AVC Board of Administration Meeting, which AVC and PNVF president Ramon “Tats” Suzara hosted last Sunday at the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel.
“It was a remarkable draw for the AVC’s competitions, and we’re incredibly happy to announce that volleyball is very much alive in Asia,” Suzara said. “We’re aiming for excellent quality of the competitions.”
Before the Alas Men go overseas, the Alas Women will have their hands full in Pool B—with Iran, Indonesia, Mongolia and New Zealand—in the AVC Women’s Cup from June 7 to 14 in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Pool A in the Hanoi tournament is composed of host Vietnam, Australia, Indonesia, Chinese-Taipei and Hong Kong.
The younger Alas Women squad will also fly to Amman in Jordan for the AVC Women’s Under-16 Championship from July 20 to 27—they are bracketed in Pool B with Japan, Iran and Saudi Arabi—Pool A has Jordan, Lebanon, Uzbekistan and Hong Kong, Pool C has China, Qatar, South Korea and Kazakhstan and Pool D is made up of Chinese-Taipei, Thailand, Australia and India.
Also drawn were the groupings for the AVC Men’s Under-16 Championship in Nakhon Pathom in Thailand, from July 12 to 19. The Philippines is not fielding a team in Nakhon Pathom.
The draw capped the Board of Administration Meeting—one of two important AVC meetings that the country hosted for the first time in the continental confederation’s history, with Suzara as president.
Suzara said that the AVC—he was elected president in August last year in Bangkok—aims to aims to continue the growth of the sport in the region under the guidance of the International Volleyball Federation, or FIVB, volleyball’s world governing body, where he’s the executive vice president.
Among the AVC officials in town were immediate past president Rita Subowo of Indonesia, secretary-general Hugh Graham of the Cook Islands, executive vice presidents Mohamed Latheef of the Maldives, Yuan Lei of China, Heyzer Harnoso of Indonesia, Ali Al-Kuwari of Qatar, female board member Hila Asanuma of Palau, treasurer Marina Tsui of Hong Kong and executive director Shanrit Wongprasert of Thailand.
They were joined by PNVF vice president Ricky Palou and secretary-general Donaldo Caringal.
