Japanese volleyball star Ran Takahashi expressed optimism after seeing Alas Pilipinas’ recent performance at the FIVB Men's World Championship.
Count Japan’s Ran Takahashi as a believer in Philippine volleyball after catching Alas Pilipinas' historic victory over Egypt at the 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship, marking the first-ever win for the country in the
tournament.
Though immense underdogs against the African champions, Alas Pilipinas was able to pull out the emphatic upset in front of thousands of fans at the Mall of Asia Arena.
[READ: POOL A SCENARIOS: Alas Pilipinas get shot at historic Round of 16 berth in FIVB Worlds]
Takahashi was among the scores of others that caught the action on television. Even though he didn’t see it in person, he was upbeat about the developments that he saw from the national team, especially since he’s been to the Philippines many times now.
But coming from a country where they are a volleyball powerhouse, Takahashi did have some sage advice for Alas Pilipinas.
The biggest thing, according to the national team veteran, is getting outside experience.
“Now, many players go outside from Japan, and then we get our experience from top players,” said Takahashi, who has also been to Europe, playing for Italian clubs after high school.
“But this, I think, is the first thing… I watched the game of [the] Philippines against Egypt. Philippine volleyball is so coordinated and [display] ability plays. They, for sure, will grow a lot and will be stronger,” he added.
Alas still in the running
A unique tidbit of the ongoing World Championship is that Ryujin Nippon has packed their bags early and were booted out of contention first than host team Alas Pilipinas.
Owing to a rough patch where Japan suffered back-to-back losses in their first two games, the Ryujin Nippon was ousted in the first round — something that has only happened twice before in their program’s history.
Currently, Alas PIlipinas is one of just two remaining Asian teams that are still in the running for the next round.
The two remaining Asian teams — Alas and Iran — vie for a spot in the Round of 16 by battling for one of the slots in Pool A on Thursday, September 18, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. First serve is slated at 5:30 p.m.
Pool A will crossover with the top two teams of Pool H which comprise of Brazil and either Serbia, Czechia, or China.
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.