The Philippines’ hosting of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship has come under fire from some critics after half-filled venues were observed at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City and the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Philippine National Volleyball Federation President Ramon “Tats” Suzara, however, came to the country’s defense on Tuesday, stressing that the 32-team tournament runs for 17 days. Because of this, he explained, fans are still choosing which pool phase games they want to watch.
All matches starting Saturday, when the Round of 16 begins, will be staged exclusively at the Pasay venue, with only two games per day.
During the pool phase, four games were played daily at each site.
At MOA Arena, the day starts with a 10:00 AM match and ends with a 9:00 PM game. Meanwhile, at Araneta, the opening match begins at 10:30 AM, with the nightcap set at 9:30 PM.
“Sabi ko nga if I were a volleyball fan, siyempre ngayon World Championship is 17 days diba? So ipunin ko muna yung pipiliin kong larong gusto kong panuorin dahil pagdating ng Round of 16, doon na yung top 16 and then quarterfinals pa so mahaba pa diba?” said Suzara, who also serves as president of the Asian Volleyball Confederation.
He pointed out that larger crowds have been evident when powerhouse teams like Japan, USA, and Brazil play, as well as other fan favorites such as Canada, Bulgaria, Italy, France, and Argentina.
This edition of the World Championship is the first to expand to 32 nations, making the competition longer than before.
“It was a good audience. Go to watch Japan sa Araneta puno, USA last night dito alas onse na natapos ang dami pa rin nanood,” Suzara shared.
“Itong pool phase siyempre yung ibang tao, hindi kilala yung Chile, hindi kilala yung Portugal. Mamimili sila ng ano, except yung popular na matches Japan, USA, Brazil — diba Brazil maraming nanood,” he added.
Ticket prices have also drawn criticism, with many fans calling them expensive. Suzara, who also chairs the Local Organizing Committee (LOC), clarified that the prices have been consistent with those charged during the Philippines’ hosting of the Volleyball Nations League earlier this year.
According to him, the LOC has since rolled out promotions and discounts to make the tournament more accessible to fans.
“Anyway, we can’t make everybody happy, siyempre they have to buy tickets, sasabihin mataas ang ticket. Our tickets have never changed, it’s the same ticket prices in the VNL diba? Although VNL is only six days. So, then we came out with a special price for the students, 30-percent discount, buy 1 take 1 para kung gusto pa nilang manuod for the World Championship,” he explained.
#WATCH: AVC & PNVF President Tats Suzara addresses #MWCH2025 — praises the crowd, explains ticket pricing, notes QF/Finals tickets are selling, and comments on the FIVB’s betting partner 🇵🇭🏐
📹 @justinvalencia_ /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/PUCDcc33RS
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) September 16, 2025
