Philippines to bid for hosting of 2025 Volleyball Women's World Championship

Philippine National Volleyball Federation president Ramon "Tats" Suzara on Sunday said the country will join the bidding to host the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship.

"I'd like to officially announce that we are bidding for the 2025 Women's World Championship and I'm going to Poland next week to attend the first bidding meeting," Suzara said in a press conference at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The president of the national volleyball body said four other countries are also interested in hosting the event: Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and Vietnam. The five federations will meet in Poland on July 20-24 to discuss the bidding.

Suzara said he is also open to co-hosting the event with other countries, but "I'll fight to have the finals here."

"For me, it will be the first time to be in Southeast Asia also. Wala pang World Championship sa Southeast Asia," he added.

(For me, it will be the first time it will be [held] in Southeast Asia also. Southeast Asia has not hosted the World Championship.)

The said World Championship is expected to fall in August or September 2025.

Dream Team

Should the country get the rights to host the event, it will be the first time that the national team will compete in the World Championships since 1974 in Mexico.

For Suzara, he wants to form the 'Dream Team' for the World Championship and that team will be composed primarily of collegiate players.

"We had a meeting with the national team coaches and some university representatives and my objective is to have a university team para hindi makagulo sa schedule ng PVL (Premier Volleyball League)," Suzara said.

"Of course, we welcome [them] if they are ready to perform but the problem is 'yung calendar kasi. If I have kasi itong all-collegiate players, naka-program sa UAAP, this is the cooperation that we will do."

(We had a meeting with the national team coaches and some university representatives and my objective is to have a university team so as not to disturb the PVL schedule. Of course, we will welcome them if they are ready to perform but the problem is the calendar. If I have an all-collegiate team, this will be in cooperation with the UAAP.)

Suzara said the national team calendar usually runs from May to October.

"I call it the 'Women's Dream Team' for the World Championship in 2025. I want them to really focus, get big support, [and travel] from 2024 up to 2025."

The Women's World Championship was previously held every four years from 1970 to 2022, but the FIVB will hold it biannually starting 2025 as part of the revised volleyball calendar for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics cycle.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News