Courtesy: Rebisco Volley
The Alas Pilipinas beach volleyball teams begin their bid for a historic Olympic berth as the 2026 AVC Beach Continental Championships get underway tomorrow, September 2, and run until September 6 in Shangluo, China.
The Philippines will be represented by two women’s pairs — eighth-seeds Cherry Ann Rondina and Bernadeth Pons, and 10th seeds Khylem Harl Progella and Sofiah Shanine Pagara.
Progella and Pagara are coming off a gold-medal finish at the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures in Busan, South Korea, while Rondina and Pons took silver after an all-Filipina final.
In the men’s division, the Philippines is seeded 15th, with James Buytrago and Ronniel Rosales set to compete against 23 teams.
The tournament carries high stakes, with the champions in both the men’s and women’s divisions earning a quota spot for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
A total of 24 teams in each gender will battle for the lone Olympic berth available at the Asian championships, with a maximum of two teams allowed per country.
The remaining Olympic spots will be determined through next year’s FIVB World Championships, Olympic rankings, and the Olympic Q-Series in 2028.
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