In the first 3 matches of the Vietnamese team in the AVC Challenge Cup, the main striker Tran Thi Thanh Thuy could not play due to injury. However, the vacant position left by Thanh Thuy was partly filled by a face of equal caliber. That is Nguyen Thi Bich Tuyen.
Bich Tuyen is an old but new face of the Vietnamese women's volleyball team. She has been absent from the team for a long time. The successful journey of Vietnamese women's volleyball at international tournaments throughout 2023 did not include Bich Tuyen. However, as soon as she returned, she created an impressive new breeze.
Nguyen Thi Bich Tuyen (right)
Who is Bich Tuyen?
Nguyen Thi Bich Tuyen was born on May 22, 2000, in Vinh Long. This female athlete is 1m88 tall, with a jump range of 3.13m. It was once reported that Bich Tuyen has the highest jump in the history of Vietnamese women's volleyball.
What makes Bich Tuyen most talked about are her extremely fast and powerful "hammer" smashes on the net as well as behind the 3m line. Bich Tuyen's smashing power can even be compared to male athletes.
When talking about Bich Tuyen, we cannot help but mention that this hitter caught the eye of coach Mark Barnard of the women's volleyball team at the University of Oregon, a top player in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) volleyball tournament.
In 2017, Mr. Mark Barnard sent a letter offering Bich Tuyen a scholarship to study and compete in the US for 4 years worth 200 thousand USD. Unfortunately, Bich Tuyen refused this opportunity for reasons that could not be clearly stated. Until now, many people still regret that Bich Tuyen did not go to the US.
Instead, Bich Tuyen played for Vinh Long Club, quickly becoming an important factor in the first team. Bich Tuyen shone in the 2020 season in Vinh Long Club's shirt, many times "carrying the team" with "machine-like scoring" performances.
Therefore, this club surprised everyone when it paid Bich Tuyen a salary of up to 50 million VND/month. This was a high salary, attracting attention at that time, but many people thought it was very reasonable for Bich Tuyen's talent.
The return of Bich Tuyen helps the Vietnamese women's team increase its strength significantly.
In 2021, Bich Tuyen played for Ninh Binh Club and continued to receive a salary of 50 million VND. Here, Bich Tuyen continued to be a shining star. In the match against Than Quang Ninh Club in the first phase of the 2021 season, Bich Tuyen scored 61 points in 5 sets, an unbelievable number. This can be considered a world record.
Previously, the volleyball player who scored the most points in a match was Leonardo Leyva (male) with 59 points in 2013, in a match between Samsung Blue Fangs Club (Korea) and Osaka Blazers Sakai.
However, because the Vietnam National Championship was not yet part of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) system, Bich Tuyen's record of 61 points was not recognized by FIVB. However, Bich Tuyen's name was well-known throughout the region as well as the world.
In 2023, Bich Tuyen and Ninh Binh Club were crowned champions of the national women's volleyball championship for the first time. Notably, Bich Tuyen was the player who scored the most points with a total of 189 points, with an attack efficiency of more than 50% in round 2 and the final round of the 2023 National Championship. In the final, Bich Tuyen scored 32 points with an efficiency of 61%.
Overcome Gossip
Throughout her career, Bich Tuyen has always faced gossip and controversy about her gender. Most notably, at the 31st SEA Games, Bich Tuyen made Thai fans question her gender when she unleashed thunderous smashes in the match between Vietnam and Thailand in the group stage.
Controversy broke out when Prechachan Wiriyanupappong, a Thai reporter working for the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC), called Bich Tuyen a "man". Prechachan Wiriyanupappong then faced a wave of fierce criticism from Vietnamese fans and was reprimanded by AVC. The journalist had to apologize to Bich Tuyen.
"My real intention was to use the word 'manly' just to describe Nguyen Thi Bich Tuyen who looks very strong on the outside, but it turned out that my big mistake in using this word could lead to gender misunderstanding, insult, which should not happen in sports, when our volleyball family always puts the importance of gender equality first. I apologize for my 'careless mistakes' that could make 'anyone involved' feel bad" , Prechachan Wiriyanupappong apologized through AVC.
Bich Tuyen dispelled doubts when competing in AVC Challenge Cup 2024
Bich Tuyen also received a lot of criticism when she did not join the Vietnamese national team for a long time. This athlete refused to compete in some training sessions because of injury or psychological problems. Many fans on social networks criticized the girl born in 2000.
However, Bich Tuyen's return to the Vietnamese team dispelled doubts about both her gender and her dedication.
In the most recent match of the Vietnamese women's volleyball team (winning against Kazakhstan), Bich Tuyen scored 30 points. This is the record score of this year's tournament up to now. After the match, Philippine sports newspaper One Sport confirmed that Bich Tuyen is the first athlete to reach the 30-point mark per match at the AVC Challenge Cup 2024.
Source: https://vtcnews.vn/bich-tuyen-bong-chuyen-ngoi-sao-vuot-bao-du-luan-tro-lai-tuyen-viet-nam-la-ai-ar873158.html
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