Asian Women's Volleyball Club Cup faces disruption just before kick-off

This tournament sees VTV Binh Dien Long An as the reigning runner-up after losing to Zhetysu (Kazakhstan) in the 2025 final.

The Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) has officially announced a change in venue for the 2026 Asian Women's Volleyball Club Cup (AVC Women's Champions League). Accordingly, the tournament will be held in Bangkok (Thailand), instead of Incheon (South Korea) in late April this year as originally planned.

This decision was made after AVC conducted a comprehensive review of the host country's preparations managed by the company H&L Partners. The results showed that this unit failed to meet a series of critical requirements, directly impacting the feasibility of hosting the event.

According to AVC, one of the main reasons leading to the revocation of hosting rights was the failure to guarantee essential infrastructure conditions. Specifically, the host side could not provide complete plans for accommodation, transportation, and competition venues meeting standards for participating teams. Additionally, the organizational structure of the local management committee was also assessed as inefficient, lacking the capacity to implement the complex logistical demands of a continental-level tournament.

Furthermore, the lack of coordination at the national level between the organizing unit and AVC was also a key factor. H&L Partners is said to have not established necessary communication and cooperation channels with relevant parties, seriously affecting the operational consistency and safety of the tournament.

Given the situation, AVC promptly proposed an alternative solution to ensure the professional quality and prestige of the tournament. Thailand, with its experience hosting many major sports events, was selected as the new destination.

"We cannot compromise on the standards expected by athletes, fans, and partners. While regretting the shortcomings from South Korea, we believe Bangkok will provide a stage worthy of the tournament.", an AVC representative emphasized.

The AVC Women's Champions League is a platform where Vietnamese women's volleyball has consistently achieved success in recent years. In the 2023 season, Sport Center 1 (comprising members of the national women's volleyball team) clinched the championship after defeating Diamond Food (Thailand). One year later, LPB Ninh Bình also reached the final of the tournament but lost to NEC Red Rockets, joining the Japanese representative at the world competition.

Last season, VTV Binh Dien Long An secured the runner-up title after a defeat in the final match against Zhetysu (Kazakhstan). Vo Thi Kim Thoa and her teammates had a slot for the world tournament but withdrew due to the distant geographical distance (hosted in Brazil), and notably, many team members were called up to the national team for the 33rd SEA Games.