The Vietnamese men’s national field hockey team celebrate their third-place finish at the 2026 Four Nations Invitational Tournament. — Photo courtesy of James Chew

SINGAPORE — The Vietnamese men’s national field hockey team secured third place at the 2026 Four Nations Invitational Tournament, which concluded in Singapore on Sunday, in a result seen as a step forward for the sport’s regional development.

Hosts Singapore finished first, while Brunei placed second. For Việt Nam, the podium finish marks progress as the team continues to build its presence in regional competition.

“The real mission of our participation in this hockey tournament is to give Vietnamese players more exposure to higher-standard international competitions and to foster strong relationships between the Việt Nam hockey community and other nations in the Asian hockey fraternity,” said James Chew, CEO of the Việt Nam Hockey Federation.

Chew added that Việt Nam will now shift focus to strengthening its structures and identifying new talent.

“We now have to focus on the next steps to strengthen the national team and develop hockey further in Việt Nam by scouting for more talented players. The tournament has created a lot of interest and I hope it will help increase the popularity of field hockey in Việt Nam as well,” he said.

According to team manager Nguyễn Hà Trường Hải, the event marked the first time many of the squad’s younger players had experienced an international tournament in a professional setting.

Despite their limited international experience, the team showed unity and determination, displaying discipline, resilience and a clear desire to compete at a higher level.

The Việt Nam Hockey Federation has encouraged Vietnamese communities to get involved, whether as players or supporters of the sport’s development and invited interested individuals to get in touch via VietnamHockeyfederation@gmail.com. — VNS