MANILA – It's going to be Asia versus Africa in one FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship group as Alas Pilipinas was drawn with nearby opponents following the group draw on Saturday night at the Solaire Grand Ballroom in Parañaque.
Alas, automatically seeded into Pot 1 as the hosts, was drawn with Iran, Egypt, and Tunisia.
The United States and Japan, known crowd favorites during their stints in the Volleyball Nations League legs in the Philippines, headline Groups D and G, respectively.
Cuba, Portugal, and Colombia will join Team USA in Group D while Canada, Türkiye, and Libya are in Group G with Japan.
Poland, the Netherlands, Qatar, and Romania, make up Group B, while France, Argentina, Finland, and South Korea were drawn into Group C.
Defending world champion Italy is in Group F with Ukraine, Belgium, and Algeria, while Group E consists of Slovenia, Germany, Bulgaria, and Chile.
The last group, Group H, consists of Brazil, Serbia, Czechia, and China.
The top two teams per group will go to the playoffs, where it will be a knockout phase until the medalists are known.
The FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship will run from Sept. 12 to 28 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City and the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
It will be the first time a Southeast Asian team will host the global tournament.
"As we count the days, with less than 365 to go, our hearts will collectively beat even faster and stronger in anticipation for every volleyball fan to come to see the matches here in the Philippines. We open our doors, our arms, and our hearts to all!" newly elected Asian Volleyball Confederation president Tats Suzara, also the Philippine National Volleyball Federation, said during his opening speech.
"That is the legacy of the world championships we all want to see in the Philippines: a new generation of fans and athletes being inspired and a better world shaped by volleyball," FIVB general director Fabio Azevedo added. (PNA)
