The countdown for the historic world men’s volleyball tournament which the country is going to host next year begins this weekend with the staging of the Alas Pilipinas Invitationals at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.

As part of their honest-to-goodness buildup for the 32-country tournament, Alas Men go up against six-time Japan V.League champion Osaka Blueton, formerly the Panasonic Panthers, in back-to-back games Saturday and Sunday.

Both games are slated at 6 p.m.

Also, the Alas Women will have an exposure of its own as they tackle 9-time Japan V. League champions Saga Hisamitsu Springs on the same dates at 3 p.m.

The matches highlight week-long celebration before the official World Championship Draw on Sept. 14 and a kickoff concert to be hosted by Malacañang the following day.

But more than the games, the event will be a milestone for the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) headed by newly-elected Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) president Ramon “Tats” Suzara .

Apart from the Philippines hosting the men’s world championships, Thailand will host the women’s worlds in August 2025 to mark history for Southeast Asia.

“This is the first time for Southeast Asia to host both divisions. This is history for SEA. My new role as AVC president is to have a closer relationship with our Asian counterparts and as well as with Europe, Africa and the Americas,” Suzara said.

“In this Alas Invitationals, we will play strong teams from Japan so we’re excited and grateful for their time,” he said. “This will be eye-opening friendlies for our Filipino fans, like in the VNL, and ahead of the world championships.”

The two-day joust against the Japanese teams comes on the heels of Alas Pilipinas’s historic bronze-medal finish in the Southeast Asia V.League, leaving no stone unturned in its world championship preparations that will also include a training camp in Italy.

For Alas Men coach Angiolino Frigoni, the exhibition games will certainly help them cope with the pressure going up against the goliaths of the game.

“We have to practice and play as much as possible against international teams.This is a very big opportunity and challenge for our players especially these teams are good,” said Frigoni.

“I hope they will not be afraid to play against players and teams they normally see only on TV. I hope it will be useful for us for the world championships next year,” he added.

Alas Women coach Jorge de Brito, who was accompanied by skipper Dawn Macandili-Catindig and Jen Nierva, emphasized the importance of this type of event, saying this bodes well to their mission of becoming a giant in the region in the near future.

“It’s an honor and a big opportunity for the Alas women trying to keep growing which is always an important,” said de Brito. “It’s important for us to improve our game, especially against strong teams and players from Japan.”

Marck Espejo and Kim Malabunga will spearhead the country’s bid against the Japanese.