After reaching an agreement to sign a contract and obtain a visa, middle blocker Tran Thi Bich Thuy has arrived in Korea, playing for the GS Caltex Seoul Kixx women's volleyball club on loan until the end of the 2024-2025 season. She has become the second player of the Vietnamese women's volleyball team to go abroad at the moment, along with main blocker Tran Thi Thanh Thuy.
For Bich Thuy personally, this is the second trip abroad in the career of the middle blocker from Ba Vi. Previously, in 2018, the 2000-born player went to Thailand to play for Air Force and left positive professional impressions.
When competing in Korea, Bich Thuy is expected to receive many benefits from this trip. Her salary is currently a topic of much interest.
Spike reported that the Korean national volleyball championship is known for its high compensation. Therefore, Bich Thuy will most likely receive an attractive salary.
"Asian players' salaries have increased for the new season. In January 2024, the Korea Volleyball Federation decided to adjust the salaries of female athletes to 120,000 USD for the first year and 150,000 USD for the second year.
The men's team decided to keep the salary at $100,000 for the first year and increase it slightly to $120,000 for the second year.
The winning bonus for each match is around $500 per match. If the champion or runner-up is the player can receive a bonus of $10,000 and $5,000 respectively. Accommodation and round-trip airfare will be provided similarly for the men's and women's tournaments," Spike wrote.
Thus, the salary ceiling for foreign athletes in Korea is up to 120,000 USD (more than 3 billion VND) in a season lasting about 10 months.
However, because Bich Thuy's contract is only for 3 months, she will not receive such a large salary. However, it is likely that the salary of the assistant player of the Duc Giang Chemicals team will be higher than the average salary of athletes competing in Vietnam.
Wearing the GS Caltex Seoul Kixx shirt, Bich Thuy is predicted to have a difficult season as the team is in crisis in both personnel and performance. This team has only won 1 out of 16 matches played in the 2024-2025 season and is at the bottom of the Korean national championship.
Bich Thuy is the replacement for Stefanie Weiler - who cannot play the rest of the season due to a serious injury.
In the 2024 season, the 24-year-old midfielder plays an important role in the Duc Giang Chemicals squad in both domestic and Asian club competitions.
Previously, at the 2023 ASIAD, Bich Thuy scored 17 points against Korea, including 8 points in the third set, playing a decisive role in helping the Vietnamese team win this set, thereby opening up an impressive comeback to defeat Korea 3-2 in the end. It was this achievement of Bich Thuy that contributed to her being noticed by many teams in Korea.
With the above achievements, Bich Thuy is expected to perform well to help GS Caltex Seoul Kixx regain the feeling of victory. This trip will certainly also help the 2000-born player accumulate more professional experience and competitive spirit in the coming time.
