From June 7 to June 14, the Dong Anh District Gymnasium (Hanoi) will be the focus of attention for Vietnamese volleyball fans. This is the venue for the AVC Nations Cup 2025 Asian Women's Volleyball Championship (formerly known as the AVC Challenge Cup).
The tournament brings together 11 teams competing, including host Vietnam, Australia, Kazakhstan, India, Indonesia, Iran, Hong Kong (China), Mongolia, New Zealand, the Philippines and Taiwan (China). This promises to bring dramatic, attractive, and high-quality matches.
The Vietnamese women's volleyball team will participate in the tournament as both the host and the defending champion.
It is no coincidence that Dong Anh District Gymnasium was chosen as the venue for this tournament. In March, this stadium was the starting point of the first phase of the 2025 National Volleyball Championship.
With a capacity of about 2,500 seats, during the tournament days, thousands of spectators came to buy tickets, filling the stands, creating a passionate atmosphere.
Although newly put into operation, Dong Anh District Gymnasium meets the requirements to organize a professional tournament. Above all, this is a locality with a famous tradition of volleyball in the country.
Therefore, playing at Dong Anh home ground will help the Vietnamese women's volleyball team have a clear advantage in spirit. The enthusiastic support of the audience is a valuable source of motivation, helping Thanh Thuy and her teammates compete more excitedly and explosively.
Not only that, coach Nguyen Tuan Kiet's team also has favorable conditions to participate in the tournament. The whole team has time to practice regularly at the competition venue, not having to travel far, helping to save physical strength and maintain a stable state.
However, it comes with many pressures. As the host and defending champion, the Vietnam women's team is expected to reach the final and successfully defend the title. This is not an easy challenge when opponents such as Kazakhstan, Iran or Australia are all developed teams, with advantages in physical strength, height and having caused difficulties for Vietnamese girls in previous confrontations.
In particular, in the context of the Vietnamese team's forces being mixed between pillars such as Tran Thi Thanh Thuy, Nguyen Thi Bich Tuyen, Le Thanh Thuy and young faces such as Vi Thi Nhu Quynh, Dang Thi Hong..., maintaining a stable performance throughout the tournament will not be a simple problem for coach Nguyen Tuan Kiet.
Before the tournament, the coach born in 1976 shared: "The goal of the team when competing in this tournament at home is that the players must try their best. We aim to protect the No. 1 position we are holding. However, each match is decisive and the teams are well prepared, so Vietnamese players cannot lose focus".
Pressure is inevitable for players when playing, especially playing at home. However, what Thanh Thuy and her teammates need to do is turn pressure into motivation, each individual and position must maximize their abilities to achieve a common goal.
AVC Nations Cup 2025 is not only a tournament to compete for medals, but it is also an opportunity for the Vietnamese women's team to test their abilities and adjust their tactics for further goals, including the 33rd SEA Games taking place at the end of the year in Thailand.
