Only four countries will see action in women’s volleyball at the 30th Southeast Asian Games after Singapore pulled out.
Philippine women’s volleyball team (Photo from Dawn Macandili’s Instagram)
Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas Inc. Secretary General Ariel Paredes bared the development after arriving in Tokyo, Japan over the weekend where the team is currently training for 12 days.
Singapore originally planned not to send a women’s team in the SEA Games but only informed organizers after the draw held two weeks ago.
The development leaves perennial champion Thailand, 2017 Kuala Lumpur edition silver medalist Indonesia, bronze winner Vietnam and host Philippines battling for the medal.
The PH spikers test their mettle on Dec. 3 against Vietnam, followed by Thailand on Dec. 5 and Indonesia on Dec. 7.
All matches will be played at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
The tournament will undergo a round-robin format with the top two players clashing for the gold medal and the remaining two squads battling for the bronze.
Meanwhile, the men’s team is bracketed in Pool B where it faces Cambodia on Dec. 2, Vietnam on Dec. 4, and Indonesia on Dec. 6.