Alas Pilipinas Women. POC Media PoolMANILA — Alas Pilipinas faces a daunting task as it opens its campaign in the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games against powerhouse China on Wednesday at Park Arena Komaki.
Game time is at 1 p.m. (Manila time), with the Nationals seeking to put up a fight against the nine-time defending Asian Games champions in hopes of mirroring the success of the Philippine team that finished fourth in 1962.
“We are mentally ready to face the Chinese. We’ll try our very best,” said Japanese head coach Taka Minowa, who was accompanied by his Filipina wife, former national team player Jaja Santiago.
Alas will look to avoid the fate of Gilas Pilipinas, which suffered a 105-61 rout at the hands of China in the men’s basketball competition.
China, for its part, is coming off a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Thailand in the recent Asian Volleyball Confederation Continental Cup in Tianjin, China. The Chinese fell, 20-25, 25-11, 25-23, 18-25, 10-15, and will be eager to bounce back in the Asian Games.
After facing China, Alas will turn its attention to Kazakhstan on Thursday in a must-win match, with a spot in the quarterfinals at stake.