Drawing for volleyball groups at ASIAD 20: Vietnam faces South Korea

The luck of the draw again pairs Vietnam and South Korea in the group stage of an ASIAD.

The result of the indoor volleyball draw at ASIAD 20 has been officially announced, thereby determining the opponents of the Vietnamese men's and women's volleyball teams in the group stage. Both teams are expected to have a chance to compete for the next round if they perform at their best.

In the women's event, the Vietnamese women's volleyball team is in Group D along with South Korea, Hong Kong and Qatar. Among the opponents, South Korea is considered the biggest challenge as they have a strong track record in Asian competitions with a powerful squad, and most recently they defeated us in the AVC Cup semifinals before winning the championship.

Notably, this is the third consecutive Asian Games where the Vietnamese women's volleyball team shares a group with South Korea. At ASIAD 18 in Indonesia in 2018, Vietnam lost to South Korea 0-3 in the group stage, then advanced to the quarterfinals and finished 6th overall. Five years later in China, coach Nguyen Tuan Kiet's team created a shock when they defeated South Korea 3-2, then finished the tournament in historic 4th place..

As for Hong Kong and Qatar, these are considered more manageable opponents. If they maintain consistent performance, Tran Thi Thanh Thuy and her teammates have a good chance of advancing to the next round.

In the men's event, the Vietnamese men's volleyball team is in Group C along with Qatar, India and Hong Kong. This is considered a relatively balanced group and offers an opportunity for the Vietnamese representatives to create a surprise.

Qatar remains a formidable opponent as they regularly feature among the top volleyball teams in Asia. However, against India and Hong Kong (China), coach Federico Rampazzo's team is expected to make an impact.

The indoor volleyball event at ASIAD 20 will take place in Nagoya (Japan) from September 16 to October 3 at two venues: Okazaki Central Park General Gymnasium and Park Arena Komaki. This is considered the most important goal for Vietnamese volleyball this year. The defending champions of men's and women's indoor volleyball at the ASIAD are Iran and China, respectively.