Leila Barros excitement for her upcoming return to the Philippines

Coming soon

The 25-year wait is over.

Volleyball icon Leila Barros is set to return to Manila to be a guest of honor for the final day of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship, which will take place on September 28 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Barros, whose appearance during the 2000 FIVB Grand Prix captivated the hearts of Filipino fans, confirmed her attendance with a comment on the Philippine National Volleyball Federation's announcement Friday night on Instagram.

She writes, "What a joy it will be to reconnect with these passionate volleyball fans. See you soon!"

The post adds, "It is with a heart full of gratitude that I receive this very special invitation. Returning to the Philippines, where I have always been welcomed with such warmth, is incredibly exciting."

The 53-year old concludes, "Being present at the finals of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball World Championship will be a great honor."

Learning about this development, PNVF President Ramon "Tats" Suzara quips, "She captured the hearts of many Filipinos during her 2000 visit. Now, Leila Barros returns not only to wow the fans but also to inspire them as a distinguished public role model. She is now an elected public official in Brazil."

"Every Filipino can’t wait to see her. Everyone is excited."

Suzara called the upcoming return of the three-time Olympian a gift to millions of Filipino volleyball fans.

Barros has since entered into politics, now serving as a Senator in her home district, where she currently acts as the chair of the Sports Committee. She has previously served as the head of the Environment Committee, while also then handling the Women's Caucus, as well as being a former Deputy Floor Leader.

Her roles have reflected itself on her legislative agenda, centering on protecting women's rights, especially in the realm of domestic violence, strengthening sports, and safeguarding the environment. Among the laws she has co-authored include: he Anti-Stalking Law, regulation of the carbon market, the General Sports Law, the transformation of the Sports Incentive Law into permanent policy, and the allocation of resources from the National Public Security Fund to combat violence against women

Tickets for the not just the final, but for the entirety of the competition, which starts on September 12, are still available at the tournament's official website, philippineswch2025.com.

The 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship is supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, PAGCOR, the Office of the President, and the Philippine Olympic Committee. It is backed by Rebisco, SM, PLDT, SMART, Metro Pacific Investments, Honda Philippines, Meralco, Sony, Lenovo, and LRT Line 2. The event is officially sanctioned by the FIVB and partnered with Volleyball World, Mikasa (official ball), Mizuno, Gerflor, and Senoh Corporation.

Tunisia without key player for World Championships

Wassim Ben Tara (photo c/o CAVB)

Tunisia is set to participate in the upcoming FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship without a key cog.

Wassim Ben Tara, who led the African powerhouse in scoring during the 2020 Olympics has been ruled out of the competition due to prior commitments.

Without Wassim, the team will rely on the likes of Hamza Nagga and Elves Karamosli to keep itself afloat in Pool A alongside the Philippines, Iran and Egypt.

Even with his absence, Tunisia remains to be a tough nut to crack as a top-50 team, having won eleven African Men's Volleyball titles, with their latest coming in 2021, as Wassim, Hamza, and Elves proved to be an unstoppable trio to retain their crown.

Unfortunately, their hopes for a successful title defense fell short in the quarterfinals against Cameroon in the last edition back in 2023.

In between, they managed to make the Round of 16 in the last edition of the Men's World Championship, losing to eventual finalists Poland.

Even with the stumble, Tunisia is still a force to reckon with, and to highlight it, they went out and hired Camillo Placi as their head coach. They would follow that up with a four-month camp that started back in May.

All of their preparations will be capped off by serving as the opening match for the 2025 edition of the FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship against hosts the Philippines, which takes place on September 12 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

They will resume pool play against Iran on September 16, whilst concluding pool play against rivals Egypt a couple of days later, all of which will be at the same venue.

The Philippines-Tunisia matchup is the lone match scheduled, as it will be preceded by a first-ever tournament opening ceremony, which will feature performances from BOYNEXTDOOR and Karencitta. First serve is slated to take place at around 730pm.

Tickets for the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship, which is supported by PNVF Official Partners PLDT, Mwell, Meralco, ⁠Rebisco, Akari, Nuvali, PNVF official suppliers Asics, Senoh, official ball ⁠Mikasa, official television partner Cignal, Honda, BMW, and supported by the PSC and POC, are available through https://www.philippineswch2025.com/.

NBA, TITAN open third NBA Store

NBA Store at Greenhills

The National Basketball Association officially has a foothold in the Greenhills complex, as the league, in partnership with Titanomachy International, Inc. (TITAN), opened its third NBA Store in Metro Manila on Wednesday, August 20. A variety of basketball content creators/influencers, as well as a few VIPs graced the proceedings, including former UAAP champions Von Pessumal, Isaac Go, and Gian Mamuyac, as well as UST alum Aljon Mariano.

Operated by the latter and located on the third floor of the GH Mall, the NBA Store features a comprehensive selection of official NBA and WNBA merchandise, including current and former player jerseys, fan apparel and outfits from head to toe, as well as a smorgasborg of items, accessories, and collectibles from a variety of major brands.

The 340+ sq. meter retail space also has NBA Philippines-branded apparel, including a special collection commemorating this particular launch, featuring four designs inspired by the unique elements present in the store.

In addition, the facility has a customization area for jerseys, t-shirts, and hoodies. Its footwear display incorporates various basketball court surfaces from all over the metro, and a locally-designed mural that is inspired by its circular-themed interior and the colors of our Philippine flag.

As part of the launch, a replica of the Larry O'Brien Trophy is present for a limited time this month, where fans can take a photo with the item hoisted by the NBA's champion.

Laoag set to host "Set Na Natin 'To" tour

MEMBERS of the Alas Pilipinas Men huddle around Italian head coach Angiolino Frigoni in training camp at the Santo Tirso Sports Facility in Portugal (c/o PNVF)

Volleyball fans based in the north are set for a treat, as the "Set Na Natin 'To" trophy and mascot tour heads to Laoag on August 24.

Fresh from being at SM Seaside in Cebu last Saturday, the tour will take foothold at the newly-opened SM City Laoag.

In addition, a mini tournament is slated to take place at Dap Ayan Park, according to Ilocos Norte Volleyball president Faivo Bartolome, who also serves as Sports Consultant for the province.

According to Bartolome, invitations have been sent out to key government officials, led by Ilocos Norte Governor Cecilia Marcos and Vice Governor Matthew Manotoc, as well as Laoag Mayor James Bryan Alcid and Vice Mayor Rey Carlos Fariñas.

Block Builders, Laoag MVT, PSQ, and NWU comprise the four-team field.

Activities are to start at 10am, with the formal program proceedings to take place starting at 6pm.

After Laoag, the three-city tour will conclude on August 30 at Cagayan de Oro, with SM Downtown set to host their own event.

Meanwhile, Philippine National Volleyball Federation president Ramon "Tats" Suzara shares some good news relating to Alas Pilipinas.

Suzara says that both Bryan Bagunas and Marck Espejo have recovered from their respective injuries, providing an actual boost for Alas Pilipinas as they continue their preparations in Europe.

The team is currently in Santo Tirso, Portugal for their final phase of preparations. 

Pilipinas United 3x3 League set to launch this weekend

IT’S going to be an open race to the top come the inaugural Pilipinas United 3x3 League (PUL) this weekend at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay.

Twelve teams will duke it out in the men’s division, while eight squads will play in the women’s division as they take the halfcourt by storm.

“Passion fuels every drive, every shot, every hustle, while purpose brings us together to create new avenues for athletes to unite communities and to push Philippine basketball to even greater heights,” said PUL commissioner Eric Altamirano on Monday.

Celebrity David Licauco’s Taho Story A, powerhouse Half Court Group (Hoopjeep), Sidney Onwubere’s YouGuard, and dunker David Carlos’ Activate Sports spearhead the local teams in the men’s side alongside AMG Physical Therapy Clinic, Smile 360 Dental Clinic, Solaris, and Taho Story B.

They will take on a tough international field which includes Ninja Airs and SBB from Japan, Dame Dolla of Vietnam, and Kuala Lumpur of Malaysia.

At stake is the USD 5,000 cash prize with the champion also earning a ticket to the Fiba 3x3 Kaohsiung Challenger in October, while the top local team will get a spot in the Fiba 3x3 Manila Challenger spot in September.

Two-time UAAP MVP Kacey dela Rosa will carry the torch for Gilas Pilipinas Women U23 as they will be joined by top local clubs Uratex Dream and Pilipinas Aguilas in the women’s division of this tilt which has Home Court, Seda Manila Bay, Smart Sports, Solar Sports, Molten, Buffalo’s Wings N’ Things, Nueva Ecija D’Generals, Accelerated Wellness, Vision Media, and Skyworth as sponsors, and is endorsed by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas.

Rounding out the field for the women’s division are Japan’s Maurice Lacroix, Malaysia’s Harimau Black and Yellow, Vietnam’s Hanoi 3x3 By Amigos, and Singapore's Jumpshot as they fight for the USD 3,000 cash prize.

Fans can watch the games on PusoP.com and Solar Sports on digital free TV channel 21 in Mega Manila, Cablelink Channel 58 and Sky Cable Channel 70 in NCR and in over 200 PayTV Operators nationwide.

LALIGA EA SPORTS season set to begin

FC Barcelona seeks to retain their title this coming season

LALIGA is back! Fans will be returning to stadiums across Spain and turning on their screens around the world this week to enjoy a host of new stars, established and rising talents, and the same world class football that they’ve become used to from Spanish football over the years. 

FC Barcelona, reigning and 28-time champions, will be looking to be the first side in almost a decade to retain their title, while the chasing pack of 19 teams, led by a strengthened Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid, and high-flying Athletic Club will be looking to knock the Blaugrana off their perch. 

Get ready as the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, Vini Jr, Jude Bellingham, Antoine Griezmann, Isco, Robert Lewandowski, Pedri, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Marcus Rashford, Julián Álvarez, and Rafinha, to name just a few, continue to shine of the biggest stage possible, with a plethora of rising young talents and living legends showcasing the very best of what the most competitive major league in European football has to offer, week in, week out. Vamos!

Futbol fans in the Philippines will be able to watch the action through BeIN Sports, whether on cable or through BeINSports Connect.

Opening things up for the season is Girona against Rayo Vallecano early Saturday morning at 12:55am. A few hours later, newly-promoted side Real Oviedo is set to tangle against Villarreal CF at 325am.

The quest for title number 29 begins for Barca commences on Sunday morning, against Mallorca at 125am, to be followed by Valencia against Real Sociedad at 325am.

Alas Pilipinas Women chip in for FIVB Men's World Championship promotion

JIA MORADO-DE GUZMAN (right) makes the No. 1 sign on board a specially-wrapped LRT-2 train with (from left) Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) secretary-general Donaldo Caringal, Alleiah Malaluan, Vanie Gandler, Dawn Macandili-Catindig, PNVF president Ramon “Tats” Suzara and Alas Women head coach Jorge Edson Souza de Brito.

With the opening date for the 2025 edition of the FIVB Men's World Championship looming in the horizon, the Philippines continues to come up with activations to help spread the word about the competition.

On Tuesday, four members of the Alas Pilipinas Women rode a specially wrapped train at the LRT Line-2, from Recto Station, all the way to Santolan, led by its skipper, Jia Morado-de Guzman. It follows the lead of their male counterparts who took such ride when the wrap was launched a month earlier.

The setter shares, "This is a rare opportunity for the country, to host a very prestigious event, the world championship."

Joining her along for the ride are teammates Dawn Macandili-Catindig, Vanie Gandler, and Alleiah Malaluan, as well as head coach Jorge Edson Souza de Brito.

Members of the Local Organizing Committee, led by Philippine National Volleyball Federation president Ramon Suzara, and secretary-general Donaldo Caringal also partook of the experience.

Suzara says, "One more month and the Philippines will be on the world volleyball map." He also highlighted the special opening ceremony slated on September 12 at the Mall of Asia Arena that includes a performance from K-Pop group Boy Next Door.

Whilst as for the closing ceremony on September 28, Ben and Ben are set to take the stage, whilst Leila Barros, the iconic Brazilian star who has since entered politics to serve as a senator, is expected to be in attendance. 

Tickets for the two-week tournament are already available at https://www.philippineswch2025.com/.

More activations loom in the horizon, with the "Set Na 'To! An Electrifying Launch" at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall later today, August 13, which serves as the campaign kickoff for the Worlds.

Amongst the events being unveiled is the launch of the on-site volunteer program, as well as the official presentation of Hataw, Kidlat, and Kulog as the tournament mascots. Fans would be able to see the actual world championship trophy, while also partake of performances from 1st One and Karencitta, who will perform the official anthem of the competition, "Electrify."