According to the VFV, all player documentation, including the case deemed ineligible by the FIVB, was submitted on time, reviewed, and approved by the FIVB before the tournament.

However, on the evening of 12/8, the FIVB unexpectedly requested additional original documents and applied new conditions to this player. "These are conditions that have never been stipulated before for Vietnamese athletes", the VFV statement said.

Vietnamese players celebrate their 3-0 victory over Indonesia in Pool A of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women's U21 World Championship in Surabaya, Indonesia, on 7/8/2025. Photo: World Volleyball

Vietnamese players celebrate their 3-0 victory over Indonesia in Pool A of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women's U21 World Championship in Surabaya, Indonesia, on 7/8/2025. Photo: World Volleyball

The FIVB’s decision led to the player's immediate removal from the U21 Women’s World Championship in Indonesia. Vietnam’s 3-0 win against Indonesia, 3-1 win against Serbia, 3-1 win against Canada, and 1-3 loss to Argentina were all overturned to 0-3 losses. Only their 3-1 victory against Puerto Rico on the afternoon of 12/8 stands, as the player in question did not participate in that match.

Vietnam dropped from second place in Pool A to last, losing their spot in the round of 16 against Turkey. Instead, the U21 women’s team will now face Egypt in the 17th-24th place classification round.

Under Article 12, Section 2 of the FIVB Disciplinary Regulations 2023, an ineligible player will be disqualified from the tournament, the results of matches involving that player will be voided, and the federation or club may be fined 30,000 Swiss francs (approximately 980 million Vietnamese dong) per case. Additionally, the player involved could face a suspension of up to two years.

The incident began attracting attention on the afternoon of 12/8, when Vietnam defeated Puerto Rico but was missing two key players. The Thai newspaper Thairath reported that the two athletes were awaiting the results of gender verification tests, having provided blood and urine samples as requested by the FIVB, but were not informed of the specific type of test. This source indicated that a team in the same pool filed a complaint, prompting the FIVB to establish an investigative subcommittee.

The VFV stated that it is "officially filing a complaint following FIVB procedures". The federation is also working with relevant domestic authorities to clarify the situation and protect the rights of the player and the reputation of Vietnamese volleyball. The VFV urged the media and the public to receive information objectively and continue supporting the women's U21 volleyball team during this challenging time.

This is Vietnam's first time participating in the FIVB Volleyball Women's U21 World Championship. The tournament takes place from 7/8 to 17/8 in Surabaya, Indonesia. 24 teams are divided into four pools, playing a round-robin format to determine the top four teams from each pool, who advance to the round of 16. The remaining eight teams compete for positions 17 through 24.

Xuan Binh