Ability to become a key player
Striker Tran Thi Thanh Thuy has arrived in Indonesia, joining the Gresik Petrokimia Pupuk volleyball club - a team currently competing in the Indonesian national championship. The 1997-born hitter signed a contract with Gresik Petrokimia Pupuk for an initial term of 1 season.
Thus, a few weeks after returning from Türkiye, Tran Thi Thanh Thuy's journey abroad continues to be extended. Fans expect that the captain of the Vietnamese women's volleyball team will be successful in her new jersey. When wearing the jersey of a team in Southeast Asia, Tran Thi Thanh Thuy has many opportunities to make her mark because Gresik Petrokimia Pupuk is in dire need of an experienced and highly-rated player like the Vietnamese spiker.
Gresik Petrokimia Pupuk is a traditional women's volleyball club in Indonesia, established in 1972 and has been invested in quite systematically. This team has a young force, most of whom are athletes born from 2000 onwards.
The team includes two players who played for the Indonesian national team in 2023, Nandita Ayu Salsabila and Mediol Stiovanny Yoku. Thanh Thuy will be the oldest player on the team, along with libero Ayu Salsabila.
Currently, Gresik Petrokimia Pupuk owns 5 main strikers including Mediol Stiovany Yoku, Putri Nur Hidayanti Agustin, Ibovna Talita, Shafina Ayu Larasati, Naftalya Katuuk. The addition of Thanh Thuy will make the competition for this position more attractive.
It is worth mentioning that the above players are of modest height. Therefore, Thanh Thuy is predicted to have no difficulty in getting an official competition spot.
In addition, Thanh Thuy being the only foreign player in the team also enhances her role. The main striker from Vietnam has proven her talent and competitive spirit in recent years.
Therefore, as long as she meets the professional and physical requirements, it is not impossible that Thanh Thuy will become one of the key players of Gresik Petrokimia Pupuk this season.
Accumulate expertise from the Indonesian national championship
Gresik Petrokimia Pupuk has just won the Indonesian Premier Volleyball League (Livoli Divisi Utama). Meanwhile, in the national championship (Proliga), Thanh Thuy's new team has never won the championship. It is worth mentioning that, like Duc Giang Chemicals in Vietnam, Gresik Petrokimia Pupuk has the most runner-up finishes in the tournament with 5 times.
Despite investing in recruiting good foreign players such as Polina Rahimova, Julieta Lazcano or Yeliz Basa (players who used to play in the Vietnamese national championship), the championship has yet to come to Gresik Petrokimia Pupuk.
Therefore, when owning a hitter in the world's top 500 like Thanh Thuy, the team from the archipelago certainly has the right to hope for a title this season.
Proliga is the highest level of Indonesian volleyball. The teams have many domestic players with outstanding skills and physique. The foreign players of the tournament are also of high quality with names such as Bethania De La Cruz Mejia (top 100 best athletes in the world), Neriman Ozsoy, Madeline Guillen...
If she plays, Thanh Thuy will have the opportunity to compete with veteran athletes with high professional qualifications, thereby accumulating professional experience and competitive spirit.
Proliga 2025 will officially start from January 3 and last until May 11. Thanh Thuy's Gresik Petrokimia will compete on January 5 against Jakarta Pertamina Enduro. Hopefully, the Vietnamese striker will have the best preparation to start his new journey abroad in Indonesia.
