Philippines clinches spots in men’s and women’s volleyball for Asian Games

8 hours ago

The Philippines has reached a significant milestone in its buildup to the Asian Games after officially securing berths in both the men’s and women’s indoor Volleyball competitions of the Nagoya-Aichi 20th Asian Games set this September.

Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino confirmed on Monday that the country received formal approval from the Asian Volleyball Confederation, confirming both national teams’ participation in the prestigious tournament.

Tolentino welcomed the development, saying the official communication from the AVC arrived over the weekend and marked a major boost for the country’s volleyball program.

The qualification was secured after the Philippine women’s team, the Alas Women, ranked No. 10 in Asia in the FIVB standings, while the men’s team sits at No. 15—both rankings enough to break into the 16-team field for their respective divisions.

The indoor volleyball competition will showcase Asia’s top powers, including Japan, China, Iran, South Korea, and Thailand, and is scheduled from September 27 to October 3 in Aichi Prefecture.

Ramon Suzara, president of the AVC, personally confirmed the development to Tolentino. The POC is currently overseeing Philippine volleyball matters following the suspension of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation by the FIVB.

With this achievement, the Philippines has now completed its volleyball representation in the Asian Games after also securing qualification in beach volleyball. The duo of Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons will spearhead the women’s beach volleyball campaign.

They will compete against top Asian teams such as China, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Iran, Kazakhstan, and Qatar at the Hekinan Ryokuchi Beach Court in Hekinan City.

With volleyball spots secured, the POC is now targeting a delegation of at least 700 athletes for the Asian Games, with additional qualification hopes still alive in esports, modern pentathlon, and taekwondo’s kurash division.