MANILA – After the unique celebration of World Volleyball Day last Monday night at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, focus is now on the country's hosting of the Southeast Asian Men’s V.League.

Members of the Alas Pilipinas Women, their official fans club members and officials and members of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) led by vice president Ricky Palou and secretary-general Don Caringal and the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship Philippines 2025 attended the global celebration which took place in the country for the first time.

“It was an amazing celebration by our very own PNVF and the LOC for the world championship and this impressed the FIVB leadership,” PNVF Ramon “Tats” Suzara said in a statement Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Angiolino Frigoni-coached Alas Pilipinas hopes to perform well against Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia in the Southeast Asian Men’s V.League, which unfolds Wednesday at the Candon City Arena in Ilocos Sur.

Fil-Am Steve Rotter joins the Philippine team, which lost Bryan Bagunas to injury but earned two bronze medals. Kim Malabunga, Owa Retamar, Peng Taguibolos, Louie Ramirez and Buds Buddin are back as Alas Pilipinas gears up for the world championship in September.

Alas Pilipinas went 3-0 in the Alas Invitationals at the Araneta Coliseum last month but was winless in pool play at the AVC Nations Cup in Bahrain.

Thailand, which swept the two SEA V.League gold medals last year, has AVC Nations Cup veterans Amornthep Khonhan, Anurak Phanram, Kissada Nilsawai and Chaiwat Thungkham.

Indonesia, silver medalist last year, has Hendra Kurniawan, Farhan Halim, Doni Hayrono and Rivan Nurmulkas, while Vietnam will rely on AVC stars Van Quoc Duy, T.D. Tuyen and Ngoc Thuan.

Cambodia earned promotion by topping the 2024 SEA V. League Challenge featuring the Malaysia, Laos and Singapore national teams.

The SEA V.League offers a prize pot of USD55,000 (PHP3.15 million) and ranking points. The champions will get USD13,000 (around PHP743,000), the runners-up USD12,000 (PHP686,000) and the third placers USD11,000. The fourth and fifth placers will earn USD10,000 and USD9,000, respectively. (PNA)