HOT ON the heels of its landmark hosting of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship, the Philippines is once again preparing to welcome a major international event — this time putting the spotlight on women’s volleyball.
The global volleyball spotlight returns to the Philippines in 2029, but with a new twist — the country will host the prestigious FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship for the very first time.
This was revealed by FIVB President Fabio Azevedo and renowned Brazilian volleyball icon-turned-senator Leila Barros, who shared the thrilling announcement with Filipino volleyball supporters.
Their confirmation means the Philippines has officially landed the hosting rights, marking yet another milestone in its emergence as a top-tier destination for world-class volleyball tournaments.
One More Run
Just before the gold medal clash between Italy and Bulgaria — where Italy clinched a back-to-back title — at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, the Brazilian volleyball legend gave fans an early hint of the big news.
“The Women’s Volleyball World Championships 2029 will be in the Philippines. Mahal ko kayo,” Barros said.
Meanwhile, the FIVB president also seized the moment to express gratitude to the Philippines and its passionate fans for embracing the sport and successfully hosting what he called an “unforgettable” edition of the tournament.
“What an unforgettable [Men’s] World Championships we had together with you all. Thank you, thank you very much for your warm welcome. Thank you for hosting the best World Championships ever,” Azevedo said.
“Hosting the Volleyball Women’s World Championship 2029 in the Philippines is an opportunity to again showcase not only the very best of volleyball but also the positive impact our sport has on society,” he added.
Bigger, Bolder, Better
As this year’s hosting marked a first for the Philippines, it came with its share of growing pains — particularly concerns raised by the Senate over ticket prices, which were seen as “out-of-reach” for many.
Still, FIVB Executive Vice President and Asian Volleyball Confederation President Ramon “Tats” Suzara acknowledges there’s plenty of room for improvement, and commits to elevating the event even further by 2029.
“We are extremely proud to be selected to host another FIVB World Championship. We have learned many things in hosting the Men’s World Championship in 2025, and we will surely do even better for the Women’s World Championship in 2029,” Suzara said.
“We are determined to carry forward the momentum of the World Championship 2025 and channel it into something lasting for our athletes, our fans and our nation.”
“The 2025 Championship has shown that the Philippines is ready to be a long-term home for world-class volleyball. I am confident that we will once again deliver a truly spectacular Championship,” he went on to say.
Our Time to Shine
With the Philippines officially set to host the tournament in 2029, the spotlight now turns to the Alas Pilipinas Women, who will also be automatically granted a spot in the prestigious competition as the home team.
During the announcement, members of the women’s national volleyball team were present and were seen cheering as the country was officially named host of the major sporting event.
With this in mind, Alas Pilipinas Women’s team captain Jia de Guzman expressed her excitement, looking forward to both the country’s hosting and the opportunity to represent the Philippines on the world stage.
“We’re so happy, as in,” De Guzman said. “We couldn’t believe it at first but biglang napunta kami sa, oh that’s giving us a lot of time to prepare for it.”
“Because with what the men’s Alas team showed with sixteen months of preparation tapos ganyan kaganda pinakita nila, there’s so many possibilities talaga.”
“We’re just happy we’re going to be given the opportunity to represent Philippine women’s naman in this stage,” she went on to say.
