Việt Nam national women’s team at the SEA Games 30. They convened in Hà Nội yesterday to prepare for the third qualifying round for the Tokyo Olympics 2020. – Photo baovanhoa.vn

HÀ NỘI — Following their success at the SEA Games 30, the Việt Nam national women’s team convened in Hà Nội on December 24 to prepare for the third qualifying round for the Tokyo Olympics 2020.

Head coach Mai Đức Chung announced the list of 25 players.

Chung put his belief in young players, as some are promoted from the women’s U19 team, including Nguyễn Thị Tuyết Ngân, Ngân Thị Vạn Sự, Nguyễn Thị Trúc Hương, Cù Thị Huỳnh Như and goalie Trần Thị Ngọc Anh.

The coach also called two young players Lương Thị Thu Thương and Đinh Thị Thùy Dương to the national team for the first time.

Meanwhile, Chung kept veterans such as Huỳnh Như, Phạm Hải Yến and Chương Thị Kiều on his list.

According to Chung, he called many young players with the aim of preparing players for the future, including the 31st Southeast Asian Games, to be held in Việt Nam in 2021.

The team will begin their one-week training session in the northern province of Quảng Ninh on January 1 and then they will return to Hà Nội to continue to practice.

Việt Nam have been drawn in Group A, together with South Korea, North Korea and Myanmar, in the event which will be held in South Korea next February. Meanwhile, Group B consists of Australia, China, Thailand and Chinese Taipei.

The teams will play in a round robin format (February 3-9) to decide the top two teams from each group for the play-off tournament. The two best teams of the play-off tournament, to be played on a home and away basis on March 6 to 11, will join hosts Japan as the three representatives of Asia at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.  VNS