The decision was made during an emergency meeting between the VFV and its professional departments on the afternoon of 11/9. Accordingly, Dang Hong will not be allowed to participate in the second stage of the 2025 national championship and will be banned from all tournaments within the official VFV system from September 2025.

Athlete Dang Thi Hong (number 12) competes in the match between Vietnam and Indonesia at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women's U21 World Championship in Surabaya, Indonesia on 7/8/2025. Photo: World Volleyball

According to VnExpress, the VFV's ban stems from a ban imposed by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) at the U21 World Championship held in Indonesia. At the time, Dang Hong was determined to be ineligible to compete, resulting in Vietnam forfeiting three matches with a score of 0-3 against Serbia, Canada, and Indonesia. This led to the team's elimination from the round of 16 and an eventual 19th-place finish.

The FIVB's penalty applies to tournaments of its member federations. Therefore, Dang Hong's future playing opportunities remain uncertain.

The VFV also announced that, starting in 2026, gender verification tests will be conducted if there is any suspicion. For the national women's team, if there are any doubts about a player, management may request a gender verification test using SRY gene analysis from buccal swab or dried blood spot samples. Players will only be allowed to participate in international tournaments after receiving confirming results to prevent similar incidents.

*More updates to follow

Dong Hieu