PNVF President Ramon "Tats" Suzara during the AVC Challenger Cup 2024 Presscon for Alas Pilipinas last May 20, 2024 at the Makati Shangri-La. Handout/PVL Images

MANILA -- The countdown to the Philippines' hosting of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship officially begins this weekend with friendlies featuring the Alas Pilipinas national teams.

Back-to-back Olympic champion France and world No. 1 Poland will lead the 32-nation field next year, with Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) chief Ramon "Tats" Suzara confirming that "it's all systems go."

"The ball is served," said Suzara, who was recently elected as the president of the Asian Volleyball Confederation last Friday in Bangkok.

"It's all systems go for the preparations heading to the world championship that will be marked with year-long activities including a Trophy Tour that would bring the MWCH trophy to key cities in the country," he added.

READ: PNVF's Suzara makes history, gets elected AVC president

This weekend, the Philippines will host friendly matches at the PhilSports Arena that will see the national teams in action.

On Saturday, it will be the Alas Pilipinas Women against the Saga Hisamitsu Springs at 3 p.m. and the Alas Pilipinas Men against the Osaka Bluteon at 6 p.m.

All four teams return to the court following the same schedule also at the PhilSports Arena on Sunday to conclude the friendlies.

Tickets to the friendlies are available through Ticketmax.ph.

Meanwhile, the draw for the world championship is set for September 14 at the Solaire Resort Hotel.

READ: PH to host 2025 Volleyball Men's World Championship

The Philippines, as host, is seeded along with reigning world champion Italy to the world championship set September 12 to 28 next year.

The FIVB announced the roster for the world championships with 15 slots filled through the continental championships last year and the remaining 15 completed just before the start of the one-year countdown to the prestigious tournament.

World No. 4 Slovenia is the third team from Europe to earn a world championship slot through the continental competitions, while world No. 3 USA, 11th-ranked Canada and No. 12 Cuba qualified from the North, Central America and Caribbean confederations.

Advancing from South America were world No. 7 Brazil, ninth-ranked Argentina and No. 45 Colombia, while world No. 6 Japan, 15th-ranked Iran and No. 21 Qatar head the Asian teams.

World No. 20 Egypt, 44th-ranked Libya and No. 50 Algeria head the African squads.

The final 15 slots were filled entering September 2024, with 11 berths claimed by European teams Germany, Serbia, The Netherlands, Ukraine, Belgium, Türkiye, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Portugal, Finland and Romania.

Asian powerhouse China (No. 25) and Korea (No. 28) also made the field, along with African squad Tunisia (No. 24) and South America's Chile (No. 27).

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