Vietnamese volleyball star to go for trials in Japan

By Hoang Nguyen July 9, 2019 | 02:16 am PT

Tran Thi Thanh Thuy is one of the most prominent players of Vietnamese volleyball at the moment. Photo by Asian Volleyball Confederation.

Volleyballer Tran Thi Thanh Thuy will go through a week of trials from July 22 to 26 for a chance to play for a Japanese club.

While the name of the club hasn’t been disclosed, it is said to be one of the five strongest teams in the country.

If she succeeds, Thuy will play one year for the new club next season.

This is a great opportunity for Thuy to become the first Vietnamese volleyball player ever to play in the Japanese league and to improve her skills in a professional volleyball environment. Japan stands sixth in the women's volleyball world rankings.

Before leaving for Japan, she will take part in the July 13-21 Asian Women’s U23 Volleyball Championship in Hanoi.

Thuy, 21, captain of the national volleyball team, plays for the Binh Dien Long An club of the southern Long An Province.

At 1.93 meters (six feet four inches), Thuy is the tallest female athlete in Vietnam and her reach has been measured at 3.4 meters. She was called up to the national team when she was 16.