The 2025 Vietnam Professional Basketball Tournament (VBA) continues to face changes outside of the profession when the visiting team V Islanders (Philippines) is officially suspended from playing for 5 matches - equivalent to ending the journey in this year's season.
The announcement was published on the VBA homepage on August 6, stating that V Islanders will not compete in matches from August 7 to 30, that is, the entire remaining part of the regular season.
Teams that were scheduled to meet V Islanders, including Saigon Heat, Nhatrang Dolphins, Can Tho Catfish (2 matches) and Ho Chi Minh City Wings, were forced to win according to the tournament rules.
Before being suspended, V Islanders were second to last in the rankings and still have a chance to compete for a place in the play-off round if they win all remaining matches. However, their poor form (all 5 recent losses) and a series of controversial matches have made this team suspected. VBA once had a separate working session with V Islanders and felt the need to apply disciplinary measures against this team.
V Islanders is a rookie team for the 2025 season, replacing Thanglong Warriors - a team that withdrew before the season. The squad mainly consists of semi-professional players from the Philippines and a few faces that have played professionally in Asia. However, the lackluster performance and professional doubts made it impossible for this team to stay long.
The suspension of the away team V Islanders in the middle of the season is just one of many incidents affecting the image of VBA 2025. Since the beginning of the season, VBA has continuously faced controversial problems related to professional quality.
In the context of the number of participating teams being only 6, the tournament is facing a big challenge in maintaining competitiveness and attracting audiences. Consecutive fluctuations also require a comprehensive review of the organization, control of the team's quality and ensure fairness and transparency throughout the season.
