FIVB disqualifies two Vietnam players amid gender controversy rumours

The volleyball world has been rocked by fresh controversy after the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) disqualified two players from Vietnam’s women’s national U21 team from the FIVB Women’s U21 World Championship in Indonesia. 

The decision, announced in an official statement, saw Vietnam, previously on course to reach the last 16, relegated to the classification round for 17th–25th place.

The players disqualified were Dang Thi Hong and Nguyen Phuong Quynh.

Earlier reports suggested the ruling followed a “chromosome test” to confirm gender, carried out at the request of an opposing team who suspected irregularities.

Dang Thi Hong, the 19-year-old captain of the rising volleyball team, has long been a subject of scrutiny due to her physique, which closely resembles that of a man.

Her muscular build and remarkable jumping power, which outshine her female peers, have raised questions among volleyball fans worldwide.

Despite the Vietnam Volleyball Association previously confirming her gender based on her ID card, her height of only 170 cm, coupled with her superior jumping ability and strength, has made her gender a point of interest for some time.

This has become one of the key factors leading to the FIVB's investigation.

While the FIVB confirmed both athletes were “ineligible to compete” under Article 12.2 of its 2023 Disciplinary Regulations, it did not specify whether the decision related to gender, doping, documentation issues, or other causes. 

It was later reported that the authorities discovered both athletes had male chromosomes, which is considered a violation of the regulations.

As a result of the ruling, all matches won by Vietnam in which the ineligible players participated were forfeited, and the case has been referred to the FIVB Disciplinary Panel for possible further sanctions.

In its statement, the FIVB said it had investigated concerns that the Vietnam Volleyball Federation (VFV) had fielded ineligible players in the tournament. 

The investigation concluded the players indeed failed to meet eligibility requirements under Article 12.2. Based on Article 13.5.2 of the Competition Regulations and Article 14.4 of the Disciplinary Regulations, the FIVB Disciplinary Subcommittee ruled all matches involving the ineligible players as losses and removed the players from the competition. The matter will now be referred to the full Disciplinary Panel to consider additional penalties, potentially extending beyond the current championship. The VFV and the players will be invited to submit written statements.

The FIVB stated it would make no further comment while proceedings remain ongoing.

Following the decision, Vietnam’s U21 team dropped to sixth in Group A with just one win, failing to advance to the last 16 under tournament rules. But they will play a placement match against Egypt on August 13 at 1 pm.

Vietnam hits back: “No rules were broken” and vows to appeal

In a counterstatement, the VFV insisted that both players had complied fully with FIVB regulations and that all registration procedures were properly completed and approved. It claimed the disqualification arose from “requests for additional documents and conditions that were not previously specified,” arguing the ruling was unfair. 

The VFV said it had begun formal appeal proceedings and was coordinating with government agencies to defend the athletes’ rights and protect the honour of Vietnamese volleyball.

As the case sparks intense debate within the volleyball community, questions have emerged over other players with similar characteristics, notably Nguyen Thi Bich Tuyen, whose gender has previously been the subject of speculation, particularly after she played a key role in Vietnam’s victory over Thailand in the recent SEA V.League.