According to Le Tri Truong, Secretary General of VFV, the SEA Games 33 Organizing Committee announced the possibility of implementing gender verification across several sports, including women’s volleyball.

"Athletes participating in female-only events must comply with mandatory testing for disorders of sex development when necessary," reads the official statement from the SEA Games 33 Organizing Committee.

The statement also confirms that the host country’s national Olympic committee and the SEA Games organizers will ensure the health and well-being of all athletes and participants throughout the event.

This marks the first time in SEA Games history that the host nation may introduce gender testing for female athletes - a move particularly controversial in the sport of volleyball, where debates surrounding gender identity have drawn significant attention.

To avoid incidents similar to those at the U21 World Volleyball Championship in August, VFV emphasized that Vietnamese athletes must be prepared for random gender checks before or even during the SEA Games. Organizers reserve the right to test athletes if suspicions arise or if complaints are submitted by other teams.

At the 2025 U21 World Volleyball Championship, three Vietnamese players were subjected to gender testing after the group stage. One of them, Dang Thi Hong, was subsequently disqualified. As a result, the Vietnam U21 team was retroactively stripped of all four group-stage victories and lost its place in the round of 16.

Le Tri Truong reiterated that all Vietnamese athletes must complete the full registration process before competing at SEA Games 33, which includes potential gender testing if required by the organizers.

Looking ahead, VFV has agreed to include gender testing regulations in all domestic volleyball competitions starting in 2026. This is part of the federation’s effort to align with the requirements of future international events.

"Athletes selected for SEA Games participation will be subject to verification procedures in accordance with SEA Games regulations and the guidance of the General Department of Physical Education and Sports," the VFV announced.

Currently, Vietnamese women’s volleyball has been at the center of public debate due to the case of athlete Nguyen Thi Bich Tuyen. The 2000-born spiker previously withdrew from the 2025 Women's World Volleyball Championship citing personal reasons.

Dai Nam