Coach Taka Minowa urges Asian volleyball to strengthen youth-to-senior pathway
Alas Pilipinas Women head coach Taka Minowa believes Asian volleyball must improve the transition of young talents from grassroots programs to the senior level to sustain the region’s success internationally.
Minowa raised the concern during the 2026 FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U17 World Championship in Chile, where several Asian teams, including the Philippines, reached the Round of 16.
“The challenge for Asian volleyball… is that although many Asian countries are among the strongest in the world at the grassroots level, they tend to be overtaken by other countries as players move up through the age categories,” Minowa said.
The Alas Girls reached the knockout stage after wins over Mexico and Tunisia but fell to China, Peru and Venezuela in the group phase. They were later defeated by South Korea in the Round of 16 and are set to face Japan in the classification round.
Minowa noted that Asia’s youth strength is evident from the previous U17 World Championship, where three of the four semifinalists were Asian teams. He urged countries to openly examine gaps in player development after the grassroots stage and work together to build a stronger pathway to the senior ranks.
Japan currently leads Asian women’s volleyball at No. 6 in the world, followed by China at No. 7, Thailand at No. 17 and South Korea at No. 28.
The development of young Filipino players has long been a priority for Minowa. In 2024, he helped guide the country’s youth teams in regional and Asian competitions, where the Philippines won bronze at the Princess Cup and finished 10th at the Asian U18 championship.
Now leading the senior national team, Minowa has already overseen a breakthrough as Alas Pilipinas Women captured a historic silver medal in the second leg of the 2026 SEA V Cup.
