Philippines praised for 'having the most beautiful volleyball court in the world'

Despite not showing the appropriate level of expertise, the host Philippines received a lot of praise for the impressive images on the opening day of the 2025 World Cup.

SM Mall of Asia Arena - Photo: FIVB

On the evening of September 13, the 2025 Men's Volleyball World Championship opened at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, with the opening match between host Philippines and Tunisia.

Despite the heavy 0-3 loss to the host Philippines, volleyball fans were still very pleased with the impressive images they saw at the Mall of Asia Arena. This place is considered one of the most modern indoor arenas in the world today.

Mall of Asia Arena is located in Pasay City, Manila, Philippines. This stadium has an average capacity of 20,000 people, which can be upgraded to a maximum of 25,000 seats.

Mall of Asia Arena before the match - Photo: VLT

Completed in 2012, Mall of Asia Arena immediately attracted the attention of the elite sports world. The total cost of building this arena was 63 million USD.

In terms of volleyball world, Mall of Asia Arena is also one of the largest stadiums. The three previous world championship hosts, Poland/Slovenia, Italy/Bulgaria and Poland, did not have a stadium that could compare to Mall of Asia Arena.

In 2006, Japan used the main stadium, Saitama Super Arena, which had the same capacity as the most modern stadium in the Philippines.

In this year's World Cup, the Philippines will use two stadiums. Besides the Mall of Asia Arena, the other stadium is the Araneta Coliseum, which also has a capacity of up to 14,000 seats.

This stadium in Quezon City (also part of Manila) was built more than 60 years ago and has undergone three renovations, the most recent in 2023.

Opening match between Philippines (blue shirt) and Tunisia - Photo: FIVB

Although not as grand as Mall of Asia Arena, this is a stadium with a long history of hosting top events such as the Basketball World Cup, boxing matches of legendary boxer Pacquiao...

Many volleyball fans and experts have praised the Philippines' two giant indoor courts.

"What is happening in the Philippines has completely met our expectations. The arena is large and modern, but still has a feeling of intimacy, excitement and great passion," said Zdeslav BaraC, member of the FIVB Executive Board.

Extremely impressive view of Araneta Coliseum - Photo: FIVB

Ary Da Silva Graca, former FIVB President, commented on the Araneta Coliseum: "Before hosting the World Championship, the Philippines organized the VNL very well here, even though they were not allowed to participate in this playground. They deserve a 10."

On volleyball forums, many Southeast Asian and Asian fans also expressed admiration for the Philippines' two giant indoor courts.

"I'm really surprised, I've seen many stadiums in China, Japan and Western countries through VNL. But the Philippines' stadium is truly the most beautiful in the world," a fan commented on Volleytrails.

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HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/philippines-duoc-khen-co-san-bong-chuyen-dep-nhat-the-gioi-20250913075923507.htm