As the clear underdogs of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship, Alas Men are embracing the pressure of both hosting and debuting in this prestigious tournament.
The Philippines has been grouped with formidable African and Asian powerhouses in Pool A, following the draw ceremony held on September 14 at Solaire Resort in Parañaque City. The Filipino team is set to face world No. 15 Iran, the Asian Championship runner-up, world No. 20 Egypt, the defending African champion, and world No. 24 Tunisia, winner of 11 continental titles. Notably, the Philippines is ranked No. 64, making it the lowest-ranked team in the tournament.
While acknowledging the formidable challenge ahead, Alas Men’s outside hitter Buds Buddin remains optimistic. He stated, “There is no pressure for us since we all know there are no [high] expectations… they [might even] expect us to lose, but everything we’ll be training for, we’ll show them in the games.” Buddin further added that the team aims to demonstrate the Philippines’ true potential, not just in the World Championship but also in the Southeast Asian Games.
The draw results are being referred to as ‘even’ by FIVB ambassador and Dutch volleyball star Nimir Abdel-Aziz. In Pool B, world No. 1 Poland is grouped with No. 13 Netherlands, No. 21 Qatar, and No. 26 Romania. Pool C will see two-time defending Olympic champion France compete against No. 9 Argentina, No. 23 Finland, and No. 28 Korea. Pool D features the United States, ranked No. 3, playing against No. 12 Cuba, No. 22 Portugal, and No. 45 Colombia. Slovenia, ranked No. 4, is in Pool E with No. 8 Germany, No. 19 Bulgaria, and No. 27 Chile. Pool F includes world champion Italy along with No. 14 Ukraine, No. 16 Belgium, and No. 50 Algeria. Japan, ranked No. 6, is in Pool G with No. 11 Canada, No. 17 Turkiye, and No. 44 Libya. Finally, Pool H has No. 7 Brazil, No. 10 Serbia, No. 18 Czechia, and No. 25 China.
Despite the heavy competition, Alas head coach Angiolino Frigoni believes the Philippines got relatively fortunate in the draw, as they avoided powerhouse teams from Europe and the Americas. “I can say that for us, all teams are pretty difficult, but [our pool assignments], they are not as difficult as Italy, as Poland, and everything,” Frigoni commented. He also described the World Championship as a ‘big responsibility’ and a ‘big challenge,’ and emphasized the need for years, not months, to build a competitive team.
Alas Men will compete at the Mall of Asia Arena and are set to headline the opening-day match on September 12, 2025, which will also feature a concert, according to AVC and PNVF president Ramon “Tats” Suzara. The draw event featured performances by OPM icon Gary Valenciano and was led by FIVB ambassadors Nimir Abdel-Aziz, Nootsara Tomkom of Thailand, and Tine Urnaut of Slovenia. Next year’s games will take place at both the Smart Araneta Coliseum and the Mall of Asia Arena. The top two teams from each of the eight pools will advance to the knockout round of 16, leading to the quarterfinal, semifinal, and final matches.
Facing strong competitors, the Philippines’ national team aims to make a significant impact in the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship. With resilience and determination, Alas Men look forward to demonstrating their potential on the world stage.
Source: Rappler