THIRTY-EIGHT teams—21 men and 17 women—from 16 countries, including four Philippine pairs, are seeing action in the sixth leg of the 2024 FIVB Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures that starts Thursday at the Nuvali Sand Courts by Ayala Land in the City of Santa Rosa.

The towering pair of Ran Abdilla and AJ Pareja and the Rancel Varga-James Buytrago duo lead the country’s charge in the men’s main draw with Kly Orillaneda and Gen Eslapor and Alexa Polidario and Jenny Gaviola defending the fort in the women’s side.

The tournament—one of 36 legs calendared by the FIVB and Volleyball World for the Futures event—is the second event organized by the Philippine National Volleyball Federation inside a week after the Asian Volleyball Confederation Beach Tour Nuvali Open that ended Sunday also at Nuvali.

“It’s another four days of elite volleyball action,” said PNVF president Ramon “Tats” Suzara of the event backed by Smart Communications, Santa Rosa City Mayor Arlene Arcillas, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Asics, Senoh, Mikasa, Foton Motor Philippines Inc. and Seda Nuvali.

Competing in the men’s division are Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary, Japan, Malaysia, Sweden, Thailand, Turkiye, Latvia and New Zealand.

Entered in the women’s contest are USA, Canada, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Lithuania, New Zealand, Sweden, Germany, Latvia, Malaysia and Thailand.

The Futures is one of six majorinternational tournaments the PNVF calendared for this year that will be highlighted by the Volleyball Nations League Men’s Week 3 at the Mall of Asia Arena from June 18 to 23.

Also on the PNVF international calendar are the 5th AVC Challenge Cup for Women (May 25-June 1, PhilSports Arena), 4th Southeast Asia V League Women’s Week 2 (July) and Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Challenge (November 28-December 1, Nuvali).

The Philippines is the solo host of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship 2024.