Jia de Guzman believes the Philippines’ hosting of the 2029 FIVB Women's World Championship opens “so many possibilities” for Alas Pilipinas and the next generation of Filipina spikers.
The Philippines' hosting of the 2029 FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Championship has opened a new chapter for the sport.
And for Alas Pilipinas Women team captain Jia de Guzman, it’s an opportunity too big to ignore.
De Guzman admitted the announcement initially felt surreal, but quickly turned into motivation.
"We're so, so happy, as in. We couldn't believe it at first, but biglang napunta kami sa— that's giving us a lot of time to prepare for it," she told reporters. "With what the Alas Men showed, with 16 months of preparation tapos ganyan kaganda ‘yung pinakita nila, there are so many possibilities talaga."
“We're just happy that we're going to be given the opportunity to represent women’s naman on this stage," she added.
A long-awaited program
The 30-year-old setter also pointed to the Philippine National Volleyball Federation’s recently announced seven-year national volleyball program as a sign of good things to come.
De Guzman called it a long-overdue step in building continuity across all formats of the sport.
"Yeah we're really happy kasi they also announced a long-term seven-year program. This is something we've been waiting for," she said.
"This is the kind of program we've been waiting for for years. It's inspiring also for the next generation to come in right now. Right now is a really good time to come into Alas and show the world what we've got."
Building for the future
But for De Guzman, success won’t come just from hosting, as it will depend on the people willing to commit to the cause.
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With four years to prepare and the global spotlight heading back to Manila, De Guzman believes 2029 can be a turning point, not just for Alas Pilipinas, but for the future of Philippine volleyball itself.
"We need the best of the best talaga. Not just the best of the best. We need people who want to work for the country, who want to learn from us also, yung team, training with the best talents from high school, from college," she said.
"Ang laking bagay sa amin to invite everyone na sumali sa ganitong klaseng programa ngayon."
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Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.