Che Quoc Vo Lit has gone through a difficult journey to become a professional volleyball player - Photo: QUANG MINH
His efforts have helped Che Quoc Vo Lit become a middle blocker for the Ho Chi Minh City Police Volleyball Club to participate in the 2025 National Volleyball Championship. He had a conversation with Tuoi Tre about his journey to becoming a professional volleyball player.
Hard childhood
* When did you know about volleyball?
- Like other young Cham people in Ninh Thuan, I have loved sports since I was a child. There were many people who played volleyball where I lived, so I learned to play volleyball with everyone from then on.
* How was your journey to becoming a professional athlete?
- My family's circumstances are very difficult, I am the eldest and also the only worker. My family has a mother and 4 younger siblings. Not being able to go to school, since I was young I had to earn money to support my family, helping my mother take care of my younger siblings. After work, I entertain myself by playing volleyball. Maybe because of my outstanding height, I get a lot of attention.
After participating in amateur volleyball tournaments and village festivals, I was encouraged by everyone to compete professionally. This would both earn more money and satisfy my passion for volleyball. In 2017, I went to Sanest Khanh Hoa Volleyball Club to try out. But the team judged that I was not qualified to compete professionally, so they refused.
"Start-up" is not smooth
* Were you discouraged after being rejected by Sanest Khanh Hoa Club?
- I am not sad because I know I have many limitations. Pursuing a professional athlete career is a difficult journey. Therefore, I also prepared myself mentally to be rejected by the club. After that, I returned to my hometown to continue working as a porter. Life has not changed much, outside of work hours I still spend time playing amateur volleyball.
In 2021, I participated in a village festival tournament. There, a journalist noticed me and encouraged me to go to Ho Chi Minh City for a trial. The journalist then contacted the Ho Chi Minh City team to call me for a trial. There, I was accepted into the team by coach Bui Huy Cham.
* How did you feel at that time?
- I was very happy to have the opportunity to become a professional volleyball player. But at the same time, I was also worried that I could not keep up with everyone else. At that time, I was already 25 years old. Just starting to become a professional at this age, I could not compare to young people who had been trained properly. My mother also did not agree to let me go to the city because I was the main breadwinner in the family, taking care of my family and siblings.
But in the end, I convinced my mother. The coach and my teammates also encouraged me a lot. I tried hard to practice and was promoted from the second team to the first team, thereby earning better income to send money back to my mother and siblings.
Che Quoc Vo Lit (white shirt) from a young man who worked as a porter and did not go to school has persevered to one day become a professional volleyball player - Photo: QUANG MINH
2 times abroad to Cambodia
* What chance brought you to the tournament in Cambodia?
- I feel lucky to have the opportunity to compete in Cambodia twice. I learned a lot of experience and gained more experience when competing with athletes from other countries. Cambodia is a country that is investing heavily in volleyball, especially men's volleyball, and the living and training conditions are very good.
The biggest challenge for me was language. Because I didn’t know Cambodian, I couldn’t communicate much with my teammates. Although the team hired an interpreter, the foreign players stayed in their own hotel. This made it difficult for me to integrate.
* Returning to Vietnam and wearing the new shirt of Ho Chi Minh City Police Club, what goals do you set for yourself?
Starting later than my colleagues, I still have many limitations. Therefore, I need to try harder to improve myself to meet the professional requirements of the club. Wearing the HCM City Police Club shirt is an honor, my teammates and I will try our best to bring the best results for the team.
Height advantage
Che Quoc Vo Lit was born in 1996, is a Cham ethnic, living in Ninh Thuan province. He started out as an amateur volleyball player and came to the professional playground quite late.
It was not until the second phase of the 2021 National Volleyball Championship that the appearance of a 2m tall middle blocker in the Ho Chi Minh City Club jersey attracted the attention of fans. His outstanding height, 3m30 blocking range, and 3m36 jumping distance are advantages for Vo Lit to increasingly assert his own value despite only having more than 3 years of professional competition.
Vo Lit has twice gone abroad to Cambodia to play for the Ministry of Internal Affairs Club and Takeo Provincial Police. After returning to Vietnam in 2025, he will play for the Ho Chi Minh City Police Club and will compete in the National Volleyball Championship which will start on March 22. With strong investment, the Ho Chi Minh City Police Club is expected to be a candidate for this year's championship.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/che-quoc-vo-lit-tu-anh-boc-vac-den-phu-cong-chuyen-nghiep-2025031808021667.htm
Comment (0)