Bích Tuyền is registered in an 'unusual' position for phase 2 of the 2025 National Volleyball Championship.

04/10/2025 17:06:00 sport

Ahead of phase 2 of the 2025 National Volleyball Championship, the LPBank Ninh Bình women's volleyball club surprised experts and fans by registering their key hitter Nguyễn Thị Bích Tuyền in an unprecedented role: caregiver.

According to the preliminary list sent to the Organizing Committee, Bích Tuyền does not appear among the athletes but is placed within the coaching staff section. This means she is not on the temporary player roster. In the registration, coach Thái Thanh Tùng listed names including Lê Thanh Thúy, Vi Thị Yến Nhi, Nguyễn Thị Trinh, Đinh Thị Thúy, along with foreign player Paskova. Notably, Nguyễn Thị Trinh was appointed team captain in place of Bích Tuyền.

The reason given is that the 25-year-old outside hitter has suffered an abdominal muscle injury recently and is not yet physically ready for high-level competition. Therefore, the team chose a "safe" solution by assigning her the caregiver role, both preserving her spot on the roster and relieving pressure on the key player. However, this is only the preliminary list. According to regulations, the official 14-player roster will be finalized at the technical meeting on October 6. This means the possibility of Bích Tuyền returning to the court remains open.

Nguyễn Thị Bích Tuyền is registered in an unprecedented role: caregiver.

Bích Tuyền’s case reminds the public of a precedent in 2024, when veteran middle blocker Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Hoa was registered as an assistant coach in the preliminary list for VTV Bình Điền Long An. But just before the match, she was reinstated into the 14-player lineup and helped the team win the national championship. Therefore, it is entirely possible that LPBank Ninh Bình might make a similar move with Bích Tuyền.

Besides the professional aspect, the situation has sparked much controversy. Some other clubs in the league argue that Ninh Bình’s continued use of Bích Tuyền — a player recently involved in disputes — would create unfairness. Meanwhile, others believe that "holding" a star of Bích Tuyền’s stature on the caregiver bench is a major waste for the tournament.

In phase 1, Bích Tuyền was a key player, contributing significantly to Ninh Bình’s five straight victories, helping the team top the women’s standings. Her outstanding strength became a decisive weapon, making it hard for opponents to keep up. Because of this large difference, many teams feel disadvantaged in the championship race if Ninh Bình maintains the same lineup.

More worryingly, if she does not play in phase 2, Bích Tuyền’s chances of participating in SEA Games 33 could be affected. The National Championship is a vital reference for head coach Nguyễn Tuấn Kiệt when selecting the national team. A player absent from her club but still called up could cause intense debate and even set a negative precedent for Vietnamese volleyball.

In this context, Ninh Bình’s registration of Bích Tuyền as a caregiver is considered both a probing move and a way to keep options open until the final moment. If she recovers in time and the coaching staff decides to bring her back, Ninh Bình will instantly boost its strength significantly. Otherwise, the Hoa Lư team will have to adapt with the current squad and place trust in other key players such as Lê Thanh Thúy or Nguyễn Thị Trinh.

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