Volleyball and the Dream of Surpassing Thailand
- 23 thg 7, 2025
- 5 phút đọc
Đã cập nhật: 24 thg 7, 2025
TTCT - For the third consecutive year, Vietnam's women’s volleyball team has won the AVC Nations Cup (formerly known as the AVC Challenge Cup), a tournament considered the second-tier championship of the continent.
Just before clinching the 2025 AVC Nations Cup title, the Vietnam Volleyball Federation publicly declared its ambition: to win gold at the SEA Games — a goal long seen as nearly impossible due to one formidable obstacle: Thailand.
Is Thailand Losing Their Grip?
Thailand has long been the undisputed queen of Southeast Asian women’s volleyball. The last time they failed to win SEA Games gold in this discipline was back in 1993. Since then, Thailand has claimed 14 consecutive SEA Games women’s volleyball titles, with Vietnam finishing as runner-up in 11 of those finals.
Thailand’s dominance has set the benchmark for the entire region. However, as the regional powerhouse shows signs of slowing down — with aging stars and a transition period looming — Vietnam sees an opportunity to break the decades-long spell and rewrite the narrative.
Whether Vietnam can finally leap over their greatest regional rival will depend not only on technical improvements, but also on mental readiness and seizing the moment when the throne begins to shake.
Vietnam Has Grown – Is Thailand Declining?
For generations, Vietnam’s women’s volleyball team has struggled to overcome Thailand. The dominance is so overwhelming that across 11 SEA Games finals, Vietnamese players have managed to win only four sets in total. Few sports at the regional level have seen such prolonged superiority. Even with Vietnam’s recent surge in performance, many fans remain cautious about dreaming of regional gold.
Vietnam is rising—and fast. But what about Thailand?
Thailand has had a tough time at the FIVB Nations League 2025, the premier global volleyball tournament. After eight matches, the team has only one win and has suffered four straight-set (0-3) losses.
There were glimpses of hope—like the narrow 2-3 loss to Japan, where Thailand initially led 2-0. However, those moments quickly faded as they were easily beaten by Italy and the Czech Republic in subsequent matches.
By the end of the eighth round, Thailand had dropped to 16th place—their lowest position since first qualifying for the Nations League in 2018. Last year, they ranked 13th in the group stage and only reached the quarterfinals thanks to their host nation status. In 2022, they earned a top-eight finish on merit.
Over the past five years, Thailand has consistently been ranked among the world's top 15. But after their poor 2025 showing, they've fallen to 19th globally. A key reason for the decline is the retirement of Thailand’s celebrated "Magnificent Seven" – a core group of legendary players.
The last time this golden generation competed together was in 2019, when Thailand secured 12th place with strong performances. By 2022, all had stepped aside, paving the way for a promising next generation, which initially made waves by reaching eighth place in the 2022 Nations League.
Challenges from Overseas Ambitions
Between 2020 and 2022, Thailand’s women’s volleyball stars ventured abroad in increasing numbers. Players like Chatchu-on Moksri, Hattaya Bamrungsuk, Ajcharaporn Kongyot, and Pornpun Guedpard joined clubs in top volleyball nations such as Japan, Turkey, and the U.S.
However, similar to football, playing overseas comes with trade-offs. Head coach Kiattipong Radchatagriengkai once lamented that he and his squad had only a few days to train together before heading into major tournaments like the Nations League.
"One athlete just flew in from the U.S., another from Japan—we had only two or three days to get everyone acquainted before competing internationally. It’s extremely hard to build consistent tactics," he said. "And to make things more complicated, our players now come with different styles shaped by the leagues they play in, making synergy a big challenge."
Thailand Faces Challenges, Vietnam’s Hopes Rise — But Reality Still Bites
Japan values speed, the U.S. leans on physical power, and Turkey employs a slow-but-steady tactical approach. As Thai volleyball players head overseas, they must constantly adapt to vastly different club environments—then re-adapt when returning to the national team.
“Coaching the Thai national volleyball team isn’t like it used to be,” lamented legendary coach Kiattipong Radchatagriengkai, known affectionately as “Coach Aod.”
The focus of Thailand’s top athletes has increasingly shifted toward their club careers abroad. Competing in elite leagues in countries like Japan and Turkey is no easy feat. These players face career risks living primarily overseas, and the significantly longer professional seasons in these countries have led to physical burnout among Thailand’s national team pillars.
Over the past year alone, stars such as Ajcharaporn Kongyot, Thatdao Nuekjang, Hattaya Bamrungsuk, and Pornpun Guedpard have all had to withdraw from national team call-ups due to injury.
As the women’s national team performance dipped, the Thailand Volleyball Association called Coach Aod out of retirement to help steer the ship. The man credited with elevating Thai volleyball to continental prominence had stepped away from the national scene in 2016 but has now returned to navigate the current crisis.
Amid Thailand’s stumbles, hopes are quietly rising in Vietnam for a historic SEA Games gold. However, caution and realism remain essential. Thailand’s international decline doesn’t necessarily mean they’re vulnerable in Southeast Asia.
In fact, Vietnam has lost its last three encounters against Thailand:
SEA Games 2023 (May): Thailand won 3–1 to secure gold.
Asian Championship 2023 (September): Thailand won 3–1 again in the group stage.
Asian Games 2023 (also September): Thailand swept Vietnam 3–0 in the bronze medal match.
These results make it clear that, despite recent Thai struggles on the global stage, the regional gap remains significant.
Why Has Vietnam Yet to Qualify for the FIVB Nations League?
Vietnam has dominated the AVC Cup for three consecutive years but still hasn't secured a spot in the prestigious FIVB Nations League (VNL).
The reason lies in the VNL’s closed structure, which favors a set group of “core” teams, such as South Korea and Thailand, both of which have participated since the league’s inception in 2018. Only one or two promotion/relegation spots are available each year.
In the past, winning the Challenger Cup provided a direct route into the VNL. However, that tournament has been discontinued. Now, promotion is based solely on FIVB world rankings and continental performance.
One team — Serbia — has been confirmed for relegation from next season’s VNL. To replace them, Vietnam would need to break into at least the world’s top 20. For context, France secured a VNL spot for 2025 by finishing 14th in the 2024 FIVB rankings.
As of the latest update, Vietnam ranks 26th, while a faltering Thailand still holds the 19th spot.
(Source: tuoitre.vn
Bình luận