World volley tilt prep in high gear

Preparations shift to the next higher gear on New Year’s Day as the countdown dwindles to nine months for the Philippines’ first-ever solo hosting of the FIVB Men’s World Championship (MWCH) 2025.

Thirty-one of the world’s top volleyball nations in the 32-team roster will descend on local soil for the 12 to 28 September world championship set at the Mall of Asia Arena and Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Philippine Volleyball Federation (PNVF) said they are leaving no stone unturned in making sure that they will come up with a tournament to remember.

“This is the time when the preparations and organization start to be meticulous every single day, it’s the world championship year of the FIVB and as host country for first time — and solo host at that — the mission borders from an excellent to almost perfect hosting of the event,” the federation said in a statement.

“We’ve done it before and we’re expected to do it again.”

Adding confidence to a potentially best-ever edition of the FIVB MWCH 2025 is Malacañang’s commitment that was forged during the first top level organization meeting on 30 April last year, that was presided over by First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos and William Vincent “Vinny” Araneta Marcos, co-chair of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) and Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco.

The commitment was broadened in last September’s One-Year Countdown and Drawing of Lots at Solaire that was followed immediately by the “Concierto sa Palacio,” a night of music held at the Malacañang grounds with no less than President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the First Lady and the Presidential Son hosting top FIVB and LOC officials.

Then International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) secretary-general Fabio Azevedo praised President Marcos and the First Family for their enthusiasm in volleyball and sports as a whole.

“It was fantastic to see how committed the President (Marcos) is in promoting volleyball and it’s as fantastic to see the volleyball euphoria in the Philippines,” said Azevedo, who gifted President Marcos a painting by Slaven Dizdarevic, an Olympian decathlete from Slovakia, during the “Concierto.”

Government’s high-level involvement in the world championship also got rolling with the first Inter-Agency Technical Working Group Meeting initiated by the Philippine Sports Commission last November at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

The Local Organizing Committee for the FIVB MWCH 2025 is also composed of Senator Pia Cayetano, Manuel Pangilinan, Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and PSC chairman Richard “Dickie” Bachmann.

Significant activities will precede the world championship, including the International Road Show spread over the first half of the year and Mascot Contest and Launch, Trophy Tour, Media Broadcast Conference, Team Managers Meeting, Test Event and 100-Day Countdown in June.