Dusan Bonacic knew Chile’s return to the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship was about more than wins and losses — it was about making history.
After 43 long years since their first and only appearance in 1982, the Chilean men’s volleyball team finally stepped back onto the sport’s biggest stage in 2025, hosted in the Philippines.
Their campaign in Pool E ended without a victory, capped by a straight-sets loss to Bulgaria on Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. Still, for captain Bonacic and his teammates, the experience was nothing short of unforgettable.
“This World Championship stint is very important because we are playing again after 43 years,” Bonacic said.
“We don’t have too much time to be tourists or hang out outside the hotel, so we found this nice store outside the court and I think it’s fantastic for every fan.”
To mark the moment, the Chilean squad visited the merchandise booth inside the arena, picking out souvenirs that would remind them of their hard-fought journey.
Bonacic, in particular, made sure to buy Team Chile jerseys for his family and a plushie of “Hataw,” one of the tournament’s three mascots alongside Koolog and Kid Lat.
“I bought some t-shirts of Team Chile for my family, for my parents, and for my brothers. It’s a nice gift for them,” he shared.
“I also bought this Hataw plushie for my bedroom — it’s gonna be my souvenir of the World Championship.”
From apparel to keepsakes, the official merchandise booths at MOA Arena and Smart Araneta Coliseum offered fans a variety of memorabilia, including bandanas, stickers, wristbands, country scarves, jackets, caps, tote bags, drawstring bags, umbrellas, lanyards, and limited-edition Hydroflasks designed specifically for the 2025 World Championship.
For Bonacic, though, no item can truly capture the pride of wearing Chile’s colors on volleyball’s grandest platform again.
“This is something we’ll carry with us forever,” the 30-year-old captain said, smiling.
#WATCH: Chile captain Dusan Bonacic shows off his #MWCH2025 merch haul to bring home after their first World Championship in 43 years! 🇨🇱🏐
📹 @justinvalencia_ /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/OuulA84O62
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) September 17, 2025
