Volleyball 

 Thanh Hà

Việt Nam has finally secured an official slot at the highest level of volleyball competition, the FIVB World Championship 2025.

The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) recently announced Việt Nam as the final team to qualify for the tournament, which is considered the World Cup of volleyball.

Historic milestone

After participating in the lower-tier FIVB Challenge Cup in 2023 and 2024, qualifying for the FIVB World Championship is a major achievement for Việt Nam’s volleyball community.

Along with the Volleyball Nations League, the event, scheduled from August 22 to September 7 in Thailand, is one of the most prestigious global competitions.

This year’s tournament will feature the 32 strongest teams in the world, including defending champions Serbia, Brazil, Argentina, Turkey, the Netherlands, Germany, Mexico, Slovenia, and Greece.

Việt Nam, China, Japan, and the hosts Thailand are the four Asian teams that qualified for the event.

According to the FIVB's latest rankings, Việt Nam is currently ranked No 33 in the world, its second-highest position in history.

This ranking is due to the team’s success over the past two years, which includes winning the AVC Challenger Cup and the Asian Women's Club Volleyball Championship, as well as a fourth-place finish at the Asian Games and the Asian Championship, and a silver medal at SEA Games 32.

Despite their strong recent performances, Việt Nam’s lack of experience at the World Championship raises questions about how far they can go. However, participating in the tournament is a dream for all volleyball players.

“I’m excited about the World Championship. It’s my dream, and certainly the dream of many of my teammates,” said Nguyễn Thị Bích Tuyền, Việt Nam’s standout player in recent tournaments.

“We all want to compete at such a high level. We’ll go to play and learn a lot from the world’s leading volleyball players.”

Tuyền, who has been recognised as one of the most notable players in all international tournaments she’s competed in over the last two years, is ranked No 10 in Volleybox’s 2024 list of top opposite spikers.

 

She will face four of the world’s most successful players in the same position: reigning world champion Tijana Boskovic of Serbia, 2024 Olympic winner Paola Egonu of Italy, European champion Melissa Vargas of Turkey, and European Golden League winner Isabelle Haak of Sweden.

This will be the first time these top four players will compete against each other at the national team level.

Opportunity to improve

Coach Nguyễn Tuấn Kiệt, who has led the national team to its best-ever achievements, is now regarded as the most successful coach in Việt Nam’s volleyball history.

While Kiệt is thrilled with the World Championship berth, he is also aware of the challenges ahead. The team requires intensive training and participation in high-quality tournaments to sharpen their skills and compete effectively.

“It’s great to qualify for the World Championship, but the key is how we prepare for it,” Kiệt said.

Kiệt acknowledged that his players showed weaknesses against stronger opponents at the recent international VTV Cup. The team needs to improve its digging and defensive techniques, while its attacking strategies must become more diverse to challenge different rivals.

The absence of captain Trần Thị Thanh Thúy, who is currently playing in Turkey, has left a significant gap in the team, and Kiệt is working on solutions to fill this void.

“Players need more training camps and competitions. Only by playing against stronger opponents can we truly improve and elevate our skills. We don’t want to suffer heavy defeats just because we only play in domestic leagues,” he said.

In addition to the World Championship, in 2025, Việt Nam will also compete in the 33rd SEA Games and the Asian Championship. Kiệt is already looking for new talents to step up when the senior players are unavailable.

“Vietnamese women’s volleyball has only recently made waves in Southeast Asia and Asia. Sustainable development requires long-term investment,” Kiệt said.

Kiệt plans to summon players earlier than usual for a long-term, intensive training programme that will include various high-quality competitions.

His views are shared by the Volleyball Federation of Việt Nam General Secretary Nguyễn Trí Trường, who said the federation would soon hold a review and planning session to evaluate the team’s next steps.

He also called for strong support from businesses to ensure the national team achieves high results on the international stage.  VNS