When the volleyball "veterans" reappear together

After winning the 2016 national championship and the 2017 Hung Vuong Cup, the Industrial and Commercial Bank (ICB) underwent many changes in personnel. They said goodbye to many of the team's pillars such as: Ha Thi Hoa, Nguyen Thi Xuan, Nguyen Thu Hoa, Pham Thi Kim Hue, Dinh Thi Huyen. Immediately after that, libero Thanh Tuyen was injured and main striker Doan Thi Xuan fell ill.

In lieu of gratitude

The PV Cup Volleyball Tournament - Ca Mau Fertilizer 2018 has 4 women's teams: VTV Binh Dien Long An, Industrial and Commercial Bank, Thong Tin Lienvietpostbank, Mikado Thai Binh. The teams will compete in a round-robin format, selecting the 2 teams with the best results to compete in the finals. If the results are not good, the players' salaries and bonuses will be affected, and the sponsor will cut investment costs due to failure to fulfill their commitments.

Both Ha Thi Hoa and Kim Hue (right) competed very enthusiastically. Photo: Internet

Faced with that difficulty, coach Kim Hue, setter Ha Thi Hoa retired from competition, and main striker Nguyen Thi Xuan, despite having recently given birth, volunteered to return to the field. When setter Dinh Thi Huyen suddenly announced her maternity leave due to old age, the NHCT team had only Thu Hoai (1998) taking on this position. Setter Thu Hoai, despite being very promising and hardworking, could not do without a solid reserve player to replace her when needed. The Industrial and Commercial Bank Club seemed to have no choice but to invite the mother of two, born in 1984, who had just retired, to return to competition. She herself had recently given birth, and had a cesarean section. Her physical strength had declined, and she had difficulty arranging household chores, but when the team and coaching staff needed her, she arranged her family affairs to return to the club.

At the age of 34, former national player Ha Thi Hoa confided: “Tin Tin is the team I started my career with, but the Industrial and Commercial Bank is the place that recognized me and gave me my entire youth with beautiful memories. I love myself and also think about my own interests. But right now I put the interests of the club above my personal interests.” She said that her biggest wish is that the young players of the Industrial and Commercial Bank mature soon so that the former setter of the national team can confidently move on to coaching.

For Pham Thi Kim Hue, this is her second comeback. Five years ago, veteran athlete Kim Hue said goodbye to the national team after 13 years of association right after the VTV Cup 2013 ended. However, with her brilliant performance in the colors of the Industrial and Commercial Bank, Kim Hue was called back to the national team at the AVC CUP 2016. Since then, she has participated in various large and small tournaments with the national team and participated in the 29th SEA Games.

In the 2018 season, Pham Thi Kim Hue officially left the field, joining the coaching staff of the Industrial and Commercial Bank team and the Vietnam U19 youth team as assistant coach. However, with the bank team facing difficulties in terms of personnel, Kim Hue returned to play and guide her juniors for another journey. Despite her advanced age, her professional ability, along with setter Ha Thi Hoa and striker Nguyen Thi Xuan, are all essential for the team in the current transitional period.

Although the 34-year-old mother is busy with 2 young children and has just had a cesarean section, Ha Thi Hoa still arranges time to participate in the NHCT uniform. Photo: Internet

Viewer sentiment

The PV - Dam Ca Mau Volleyball Cup 2018 aims to help athletes improve their technical skills, physical strength, mentality and competition experience, preparing for the 8th National Sports Festival to be held in Hanoi. Next is the final round, ranking of the 2018 National Volleyball Championship will take place in Buon Ma Thuot City, Dak Lak Province.

Middle blocker Kim Hue and setter Ha Thi Hoa could not help the champions successfully defend their championship title last season. The Industrial and Commercial Bank and Mikado Thai Binh were only present in the third place match, with a 3-0 victory over the Industrial and Commercial Bank in the final match of the women's group stage last night, November 2, the Thong tin Lien Viet Postbank volleyball team was ranked second in the group and qualified for the final with Binh Dien Long An.

When they were still competing, seniors Kim Hue, Nguyen Thi Xuan, and setter Ha Thi Hoa were exemplary models for their juniors at the Industrial and Commercial Bank Club and the national team. But the return of the "veterans" at the PV - Dam Ca Mau Volleyball Cup 2018 made the audience and athletes participating in the tournament admire them even more.