Vietnamese women's volleyball player receives sad news upon arriving in Japan for ASIAD 2026

Just as she set foot in Japan with the Vietnamese women's volleyball team for ASIAD 2026, setter Vi Thị Yến Nhi suddenly received the sad news of losing a loved one. The grief struck while the female player was preparing for one of the biggest tournaments of her career.

Late on the evening of September 13, the Vietnamese women's volleyball team departed for Japan, officially beginning their journey to compete at ASIAD 2026. In the 12-player roster of coach Nguyễn Tuấn Kiệt, there is setter Vi Thị Yến Nhi – one of the promising young faces expected to organize the gameplay.

However, as soon as she arrived in Japan, Yến Nhi received the heartbreaking news from home that her grandfather had passed away. According to shared information, the setter born in 2002 could not hold back her emotions and burst into tears at the hotel where the team was staying.

In the midst of an international competition that requires great focus and courage, Yến Nhi had to face a family loss while far from home. This is certainly an extremely difficult time for the female player before stepping into important matches at ASIAD 2026.

The sharing and encouragement from the coaching staff and teammates will be a spiritual anchor for Yến Nhi to overcome the grief, quickly stabilize her mentality, and continue the journey with the Vietnamese women's volleyball team.

Vi Thị Yến Nhi was born in 2002 in Lạng Sơn, is 1.78 m tall, and plays as a setter. She currently plays for Hà Nội Tasco Auto Club and also serves as captain of the Hanoi women's volleyball team.

Yến Nhi was called up to the national team in 2023, when she participated in the VTV Cup. Over time, the female player born in 2002 gradually proved her ability and became one of the important options at the setter position for the Vietnamese team.

Being selected by coach Nguyễn Tuấn Kiệt into the 12-player squad for ASIAD 2026 further demonstrates the trust placed in Yến Nhi. At the age of 23, this is an opportunity for her to gain more experience at a major continental tournament.

At ASIAD 2026, women's indoor volleyball features 14 teams competing, divided into 4 groups. The Vietnamese team is in Group D with South Korea, Hong Kong (China), and Qatar.

According to the schedule, the Vietnamese women's volleyball team will have their opening match at 11:00 on September 16 against Qatar. A day later, at 14:00 on September 17, coach Nguyễn Tuấn Kiệt's team will face Hong Kong (China). The most anticipated match in Group D will take place at 14:00 on September 18, when Vietnam meets South Korea.

The goal of the Vietnamese team is to advance past the group stage, reach the quarterfinals, and aim for fourth place at ASIAD 2026. This is an ambitious goal but also consistent with the progress of Vietnamese women's volleyball in recent years.