Manila: The Philippines' men's and women's indoor volleyball teams have successfully secured their spots for the upcoming Nagoya-Aichi 20th Asian Games scheduled for September. This achievement marks a significant milestone in the nation's volleyball program, highlighting the dedication and efforts of both teams.
According to Philippines News Agency, the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president, Abraham 'Bambol' Tolentino, expressed his elation over the qualification in a news release on Monday. The POC received confirmation via email from the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) over the weekend, officially announcing the Philippines' entry into the prestigious Asiad.
Ranked No. 10 for the women's team and No. 15 for the men's team in the FIVB rankings in Asia, the Philippines will compete against 15 other teams in each category at the Asian Games. The volleyball events are set to take place in Aichi Prefecture from September 27 to October 3.
In the men's division, the Philippines will face formidable opponents from countries including Japan, Iran, Pakistan, South Korea, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Qatar, Bahrain, Chinese-Taipei, India, Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Hong Kong. Meanwhile, the women's division will see competition from Japan, Kazakhstan, Iran, China, Chinese-Taipei, Thailand, Vietnam, Qatar, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, India, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Mongolia, and North Korea.
AVC president Ramon 'Tats' Suzara delivered the confirmation to Tolentino, who is poised to manage the country's volleyball affairs due to the FIVB's suspension of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation. This qualification completes the roster of Philippine entries in volleyball for the Asian Games, following the beach volleyball teams' qualification, led by Southeast Asian Games champions Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons.
The beach volleyball competition will feature teams from China, Japan, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Iran, Kazakhstan, Qatar, and Oman, and will be held at the Hekinan Ryokuchi Beach Court in Hekinan City. The POC is set to field at least 700 athletes to the Asian Games, with Tolentino optimistic about securing more qualifiers in esports, modern pentathlon, and taekwondo kyorugi (sparring).
