Urgently hire foreign players
The second phase of the 2025 National Volleyball Championship will begin on October 10 in Ninh Binh. This is the time to decide the final rankings of the teams in this year's tournament. The tournament regulations stipulate that in the second phase, each team can add no more than three domestic players from outside the list registered in the first phase. Therefore, teams are forced to focus on improving their strength with foreign players if they want to succeed.
Currently, the group of four women's teams dominating the final round including LPBank Ninh Binh, Information Corps, VTV Binh Dien Long An and Vietinbank have a plan to hire foreign players to supplement the squad. According to research, some high-level foreign players have been introduced to the above teams. However, the contract has not been signed, so the specifics have not been announced. LPBank Ninh Binh men's and women's teams are the host of the second phase of the 2025 National Volleyball Championship, so they are focusing on the goal of participating in the finals.
Representatives of the Center for Training and Sports of Ninh Binh Province (the managing unit of the male and female team of LPBank Ninh Binh) affirmed: "The two teams will find a suitable foreign player to help the best coaching staff play the decisive phase of the season." Foreign soldiers Miroslava Paskova (Bulgaria) have played for LPBank Ninh Binh and Napadet Bhinijdee (Thailand) to play for the LPBank Ninh Binh team in the first phase that will not return to Vietnam in October.
Meanwhile, the remaining men's team including Ho Chi Minh City Police, MB Border Guard, The Cong Tan Cang, Da Nang, Lavie Tay Ninh, Sanest Khanh Hoa and VTV Binh Dien Long An, Information Corps, Vietinbank, Long Son Thanh Hoa Cement, Hung Yen, Ho Chi Minh City, Duc Giang Chemicals (women) are actively looking for suitable foreign players to invite to Vietnam to compete. Currently, experts record that the two men's teams have reached an agreement to invite foreign players Rivan Nurmulki (Indonesia) and Anurak Phanram (Thailand) to compete in October. Other teams have kept their information confidential.
The transfer market is bustling
The Vietnam National Volleyball Championship is being assessed to have good potential for professional development in Southeast Asia. Therefore, over the past three years, the tournament's foreign player transfer market has been developing at its maximum. The value of foreign player transfers to Vietnam has always been kept secret by the teams. However, experts confirm that transfer fees (with signings for players) have increased by five to seven times compared to 10 years ago.
13 teams in the first phase of the 2025 National Volleyball Championship have hired foreign players. There are 18 players registered with citizenship from Thailand (5), Brazil (1), Cuba 4, Poland (2), Kenya (1), Bulgaria (1), Turkey (1), Serbia (1), Canada (1), Bosnia & Herzegovina (1)
General Secretary of the Vietnam Volleyball Federation - Mr. Le Tri Truong once commented: "Teams are allowed to register foreign players according to the tournament regulations. Overall, teams have chosen to choose more diverse foreign players instead of focusing only on players from Asian volleyball backgrounds. This diversity makes our volleyball tournament more professionally attractive".
Players from many other volleyball regions who later came to Vietnam to compete have reported that domestic teams have accepted to pay transfer fees. Each team that wants to achieve high results must hire players of the right value.
Earlier this year, former Polish national team player Michal Kubiak came to Vietnam to wear the Ho Chi Minh City Police men's team jersey, creating a professional fever in the first phase of the 2025 National Championship to compete at Dong Anh Stadium (Hanoi). Kubiak's presence caused the stadium's stands to be packed with fans coming to cheer. On the field, domestic athletes have the opportunity to compete with top players to learn more skills.
