Vietnamese Volleyball 2026: A Test of Sports Professionalization

At the end of last May, the Vietnam Volleyball Federation (VFV) officially kicked off the "Vietnam Volleyball Journey 2026" program in Hanoi. Viewed as an innovative move from the new leadership, it is expected to "bring more vibrancy" to a discipline currently enjoying its heyday. Consequently, there is great anticipation.

According to information from the VFV, the "Vietnam Volleyball Journey 2026" is not only about reviewing the outstanding progress of the women's team from 2023 to 2025, but more importantly, it opens up a new development direction towards professionalism and modernization.

The new VFV President, Mr. Duong Manh Tien, announced ambitious goals: turning tournaments and matches into "professional sports entertainment products," creating sustainable revenue streams from media, commerce, and the fan ecosystem. The initial step will involve collecting, storing, and promoting individual profiles of players using digital technology.

In simple terms: our female volleyball players will serve as the "core" to attract all attention, generating momentum for the development of other branches of volleyball. This is similar to what Vietnamese football did after the "Changzhou 2018 miracle," with the difference being that for football, that opportunity came unexpectedly, while for volleyball, this idea marks the starting point for a considerable amount of work ahead.

That may be why the "Vietnam Volleyball Journey 2026" only mentions ambitions without detailing specific plans or programs for the coming years. For example, there are no clear "highlights," media events, community activities, or commercial exploitation strategies… What is most evident at this moment is that the program is focusing all its resources on a professional goal: supporting the Vietnamese women's team in participating in a series of important international tournaments during an extremely busy year.

But as mentioned, for those who love Vietnamese volleyball, this program has garnered great expectations. Some have humorously remarked that women's volleyball is an "underestimated asset."

Our women's team currently holds: 28th place in the world, the 4th professional position in Asia behind Japan, China, and Thailand, three consecutive AVC Nations Cup titles, a semi-final appearance at the most recent ASIAD, and for the first time in history, a spot at the 2025 World Championship. This is a foundation that any image-building strategy can rely on to operate.

In 2026, a series of tournaments stretches from the AVC Cup in the Philippines, the SEA V-League at home in Ninh Binh, the VTV Cup in Phu Tho in August, to the Asian Championship in China, and the biggest goal, the 2026 ASIAD in Japan in September. Each tournament is a window for telling the story of Vietnamese volleyball. The current issue is… telling it the right way and telling it with a plan.

More importantly, many other sports are eagerly watching the "Volleyball Journey." The idea of building a long-term image development strategy with data, media support, and sponsors has long been an integral part of professional sports worldwide.

This is the operational framework of World Tour Series in many individual sports, from tennis, badminton, pickleball… to team sports like volleyball and basketball: competition schedules built around media highlights, athletes invested in for personal image building, fan data systematically exploited to nurture communities and attract long-term sponsors.

But in Vietnam, this model is still unfamiliar. Even football, the most heavily financed sport, has not truly operated on the sustainable commercial logic that a professional sports industry requires. The fact that volleyball is approaching this direction, even if still in its infancy, is a commendable sign.

The "Vietnam Volleyball Journey 2026," despite its initial steps and many gaps to fill, has already opened a positive path in terms of mindset. It shows that sports are not just about training and competing, but also about storytelling, entertainment products, and an industry in itself.