Volleyball 

Việt Nam eye 33rd SEA Games gold after recent successful years. VNS Photo Lê Thành

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam's SEA Games gold medal target has been given an extra boost, now that the team has signed a new sponsor, a company which has promised to give them 'the best' for their success.

The Việt Nam Federation of Volleyball (VFV) on Tuesday signed a contract with the PetroVietnam Fertilizer and Chemicals Corporation (PVFCCo - Phú Mỹ) as the main sponsor of the national women's squad.

The event marked the first time in history that the national team officially had an exclusive sponsor, a special milestone, not only for them, but also an important turning point for the nation's entire volleyball industry.

"Volleyball is not only an elite, but also a community sport in Việt Nam, as it is loved every corner in the country," said PVFCo marketing deputy director, Đoàn Quốc Quân.

"Wherever there is a yard, there is a volleyball court. People's love and care for volleyball and the national teams, especially the women's side, are great. The court is always full of spectators with crazy cheering. It is a great condition to develop and spread volleyball all around.

"However we still need a strong support from businesses in addition to the State's investment to push the sport to higher level. Phú Mỹ's cooperation with volleyball is part of our social responsibility."

He added that it was the company's honour to be a partner of the team, hoping it would help them reach new heights.

VFV General Secretary Lê Trí Trường said the national team's first ever sponsor showed people's growing interest in volleyball.

“The companionship of Phú Mỹ creates resources for us to have more opportunities to compete and train in countries with a developed volleyball movement, improving professional quality and lifting the level of Vietnamese volleyball,” he said.

The last three years was impressive for the women's squad. 

They not only positioned themselves as one of top two teams in the region, but also reached the continental and world levels.

They won silvers in the 31st and 32nd SEA Games in 2022 and 2023, respectively. They bagged the Asian Women's Club Volleyball Championship 2023 and qualified for the FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship 2023.

The women also took fourth position in the Asian championship 2023 and the 19th Asian Games 2023.

They also triumphed the AVC Challenger in 2023 and 2024 and represented Asia in the FIVB Challenger 2023 and 2024. Their bronze in the latter event marked Việt Nam's first world-level top-three finish and brought them a slot to compete in this year's world championships. 

The achievements showed that VFV's investment and preparation were effective. Teams were sent overseas for intensive training and registered to number of domestic and international tournaments to improve their skills and gain experience. 

Captain Trần Thị Thanh Thúy presents the national jersey to Đoàn Quốc Quân, PVFCo marketing deputy director during the sponsorship signing ceremony on May 6 in Hà Nội Photo courtesy of Vietcontent

After such success, the team are looking towards 2025 with new milestones at the World Championship and U21 World Cup, but the most important goal is aiming for their first ever gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games, taking place in Thailand in December this year.

“This year, we have important international tournaments, including the World Championship in Thailand in August. Our goal is to reach top-level volleyball and gain experience," said General Secretary Trường.

"In addition, we will participate in tournaments such as the international VTV Cup, the SEA V.League and especially the 33rd SEA Games, with the goal of achieving better results than the previous tournament.

"We are being asked to win gold at the SEA Games. This is a difficult goal, especially when we will face Thailand at home. The challenge is huge, but with the determination and our ability through past tournaments, we aim to 'change the colour' of the medal from these games," Trường said.

Attending the event, head coach Nguyễn Tuấn Kiệt said after many years of winning silver medals in the SEA Games, this was the first time his team would strive for gold. He personally felt high pressure as same as players and they would all work hard, in both training and at competitions, to make the mission.

Kiệt and his side are currently in training in Quảng Ninh Province. They will compete in the AVC Nations Cup on June 7-14 in Hà Nội and the VTV Cup on June 28-July 5 in Vĩnh Phúc.

Their later events are the SEA V.League Week 1 on July 25-27 in Ninh Bình and the Week 2 on August 1-3 in Thailand.

The world championship will be held on August 22 to September 7 and the SEA Games on December 7-19, also in Thailand. VNS