Vietnam women's volleyball and their mindset for the big stage

21/08/2025 14:08:00 sport

Vietnam women's volleyball is about to reach a historic milestone at the 2025 World Championship. Fans feel twofold emotions: pride and anticipation, but also some skepticism about the Vietnamese girls’ prospects, especially after key player Bích Tuyền’s last-minute departure.

It’s not surprising to have doubts about the Vietnam team’s outlook. We are the only team making our first appearance at the World Championship, and our participation was granted after Thailand became the host.

In such a major competition, it seems Coach Nguyễn Tuấn Kiệt’s team starts at a disadvantage compared to other rivals. Moreover, Vietnamese sports have many lessons about being overwhelmed in their initial appearances at global tournaments.

This is the "mindset," the approach to big matches and major tournaments, and it remains a weakness for Vietnamese sports. It’s not simply because we rarely appear in top global arenas, but generally, Vietnamese athletes are not prepared for the scale and significance of important events.

For example, some outstanding talents have underperformed at the Olympics, such as Ánh Viên, who competed twice with results below expectations, or badminton players Nguyễn Tiến Minh and Nguyễn Thùy Linh, who have yet to win any Super 300 titles.

It’s easy to understand why Vietnam’s historic Olympic gold went to Hoàng Xuân Vinh, who was nearly 40 when he achieved it. His experience and mindset from many high-pressure psychological battles made the difference. Similarly, our world billiards champions likely developed their nerves in intense local matches with high stakes.

Back to Vietnam women's volleyball, there are many reasons for fans to trust them. Their World Championship spot is no coincidence if we understand the rise of Vietnam women's volleyball.

Vietnam volleyball is about to embark on a historic journey at the World Championship. Photo: Nhân Văn

Thirty years ago, volleyball was among the few sports in Vietnam played and trained under near-world-class conditions. Matches were held on standard courts with dedicated arenas.

This was due to the Vietnam Volleyball Federation’s efforts to host many Asian international tournaments, and two high-quality international friendly events have been organized over the past 20 years. Simply put, even before reaching the continental level, Vietnam women's volleyball frequently competed in the best environments to gain experience and resilience. They are not unfamiliar with elite volleyball, except they have had little exposure to European teams.

This is the only way to develop a strong mindset before major events. Before his historic shots, shooter Hoàng Xuân Vinh had won his specialty event at the World Shooting Cup and trained with the best guns at the best ranges. In other words, his success was not only due to his age but also his preparation.

Unfortunately, Vietnamese sports are not always in the best condition to be ready and perform well at top events. Even a simple detail like spectators affects our athletes, who suffer from empty stands at domestic competitions.

Not being used to that atmosphere leads to a poor mindset. Then there is the pressure of results and the heavy burden of expectations that often outweigh the experience athletes have gained. For example, the Vietnam women's football team, making their World Cup debut, already faces pressure to achieve "historic points" and "historic goals"...

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