The Philippines has officially submitted its bid to the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) for the hosting of the 2025 Women’s World Championship. Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) president Ramon Suzara bared the development in a press conference during a break in the Men’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Week 3 at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on Sunday. ‘The PNVF has submitted a bid to host the women’s world championship in 2025,’ said Suzara, who was invited by the FIVB to the VNL final phase scheduled on July 20 to 24 and to discuss the bidding process in Gdansk, Poland. ‘We’ll be able to get a clearer picture of our intention to bid, and win, in that meeting,’ he added. Suzara said Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Vietnam are also interested to host the tournament that will be held biannually starting 2025, from the previous once in four years. Hosting the Worlds would give the Philippines the privilege to field its national team in the tournament which will feature 32 nations. ‘If we are hosts, that means we’ll be in the Women’s World Championship for the first time since 1974, the last time we had a team in the prestigious tournament in Mexico,’ said Suzara. He is planning to use the same formula of co-hosting that was granted the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas in hosting the FIBA 2023 World Cup next month. ‘Just like in the FIBA World Cup, we intend to host 16 of the qualifiers with the crucial phases and the finals scheduled for the Philippines,’ he said. The last Women’s World Championship was co-hosted by the Netherlands and Poland in 2022. Serbia retained the championship after beating Brazil, 26-24, 25-22, 25-17, in Apeldoorn, Netherlands. Italy likewise swept the United States, 25-20, 25-15, 27-25, to place third
Source: Philippines News Agency