Joshua Retamar makes history as first Filipino to play in a European Cup!

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Joshua “Owa” Retamar is about to make history.

The 26-year-old Filipino setter has been officially announced by Ordu, the Azerbaijani club that finished as national championship runners-up last season, and will become the first player from the Philippines to compete in a European club competition.

Owa first caught international attention at the 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship in Manila, where the 1.82-metre setter represented the host nation on one of the biggest stages in world volleyball. Now, he is taking the next step in his career — and one that will take Filipino volleyball into previously uncharted territory.

He has spent most of his career playing in the Philippines, with a few spells in Cambodia, but his move to Azerbaijan represents a significant milestone not only for the player himself, but for Philippine volleyball as a whole. Filipino players remain relatively uncommon on the international club scene, making his European adventure all the more remarkable.

And the challenge awaiting him will be a particularly interesting one.

With Ordu, Owa will compete in the CEV Challenge Cup, becoming the first Filipino player ever to appear in a European Cup competition. He will also join a roster that is rapidly turning heads, with the Azerbaijani club putting together an unexpectedly ambitious international project.

Recent arrivals include experienced setter Axel Jacobsen, former Italian international Ivan Zaytsev, and Cuban outside hitter Salvador Hidalgo — a trio that gives Ordu an intriguing mix of experience, international pedigree and firepower.

For Owa, however, the biggest achievement may already have been secured: when he steps onto the court in the Challenge Cup, a Filipino player will be making European volleyball history for the very first time!