Two foreign coaches are responsible for competing for gold medals with Vietnamese basketball.

Matt Van Pelt and Naeimeh Zafar are the coaches of the Vietnam men's and women's basketball teams. They are responsible for helping the athletes win glory at the 33rd SEA Games.

Determined to win gold

Vietnam basketball is urgently entering the final stage of preparation. The goal of this sport is to conquer 3 medals, including at least 1 gold medal. From the beginning of November, the men's and women's basketball teams in both 3x3 and 5x5 events were called up. In which, the men's team is led by coach Matt Van Pelt.

Female coach Naeimeh Zafar is determined to defend the gold medal with Vietnamese basketball.

The American strategist has called up outstanding athletes such as Chris Dieker, Dinh Thanh Tam, Nguyen Huynh Phu Vinh, Nguyen Phuc Vinh, Tran Dang Khoa... to participate in both 5×5 and 3×3 events. At this stage, Coach Van Pelt focuses on improving the ability to organize attacks, defenses and physical training. The American coach hopes to help the Vietnamese men's basketball team advance deep into the final round to compete for medals, even gold medals.

Meanwhile, the Vietnam Women's Basketball team is shouldering the responsibility of defending the gold medal in the 3x3 event and striving to win a medal in the 5x5 event. Under the guidance of head coach Naeimeh Zafar, the women's basketball team always focuses on stability in the frame, while developing a playing style that emphasizes speed and transition. This is a strength that has been affirmed through many international tournaments that the team has participated in.

At the 33rd SEA Games, the women's team harmoniously combines experienced pillars and young, potential players such as: Truong Thao Vy, Nguyen Thi Tieu Duy, Bui Kim Nhan, Van Thu Thao, Dang Thi Cam Linh... The team also narrowed down 2 direct competitors for the gold medal. Those are the Philippines and Thailand - the two countries with the strongest basketball background in Southeast Asia.

Although facing many strong opponents, the opportunity for Vietnamese Basketball to achieve the minimum goal of 1 gold medal, 1 silver medal and 1 bronze medal is still considered feasible. Especially when the team has a stable force and good form. The women's 3x3 event continues to be the "leading flag". This is where Vietnam has the ability to compete directly to defend the gold medal. The women's 5x5 event has the opportunity to go far if it makes good use of the cohesion in the playing style. In addition, the men's 5x5 event is expected to create a breakthrough if it can promote the speed and efficiency of the new tactical system.

Interesting story about 2 head coaches

The hope of defending the SEA Games gold medal of the Vietnamese women's basketball team is not only for the athletes. It is also the expectation for coach Naeimeh Zafar. The Sport Business page has a long article about the story of the coach from Iran. For her, basketball is both a sport and a journey connected to family and life. The journey with basketball helps Ms. Zafar travel through many lands of Iran, experiencing many ups and downs of emotions. The turning point in this female coach's basketball career came in 2009, when she set foot in Serbia. Two years of studying at the Serbian Sports University inspired her with strong confidence and expertise.

From Serbia, Ms. Zafar's journey continued through Türkiye and then to the Middle East. In 2018, she accepted an invitation to Qatar, leading the U16 and U18 teams and then becoming the head coach of the national women's team. Under her direction, the team participated in the GCC, Arab Championship and the Asian Games. Then in Oman, Ms. Zafar helped the women's team win consecutive youth championships and even led the men's team to the runner-up position in the national tournament - an unprecedented achievement in the history of basketball in this country.

In May 2025, Ms. Zafar became the head coach of the Vietnamese women's basketball team, preparing for the SEA Games in Thailand. For her, this is not just a job, but also an opportunity to make history. "Vietnam has never won a medal in the 5x5 arena. I hope we can write that first time together," Ms. Zafar determined.

For his part, Coach Matt Van Pelt has been with the Vietnamese men's basketball team for nearly a decade. Remember at the 31st SEA Games - 2021 held in Hanoi, he and the Vietnamese basketball team won the first Silver medal at the SEA Games. Interestingly, 4 years earlier, Matt Van Pelt, as an athlete, came to Vietnam to play for Hanoi Buffalo. After that, he sent a video and a job application to Saigon Heat with the hope of joining the strongest club in Vietnam at that time. Unfortunately, Van Pelt could not compete with the name Akeem Scott and was eliminated.

From an athlete who failed to find a job in Vietnam, Matt Van Pelt was determined to stay in the S-shaped country. Matt's desire, perseverance and professional training spirit caught the eye of a few coaches in Vietnam. From here, he began to switch to coaching.

Modern tactical thinking, leadership ability and ability to inspire players have helped Mr. Matt Van Pelt gradually create influence for the Vietnam basketball team. And up to now, the American coach is entrusted with the responsibility of accompanying the Vietnam basketball team at the upcoming 33rd SEA Games.

How strong are Vietnam's competitors?

According to the competition schedule of the Organizing Committee, the 33rd SEA Games Basketball event will be held at Nimibutr Stadium (Bangkok) - a venue with good facilities, suitable for high-tempo matches. The 3x3 event will be held on December 10 and 11. The 5x5 event will take place from December 13 to 19.

Talking about Vietnam's opponents, the Philippines is still maintaining its leading position in Southeast Asia, especially in the men's 5x5 category. The fast playing style, diverse finishing ability and deep squad are still outstanding strengths. Meanwhile, Indonesian Basketball has recently made a breakthrough thanks to the naturalized force and the combination of systematic youth training, helping them significantly improve their professional quality. Indonesia is considered a direct medal competitor in both the 5x5 and 3x3 categories.

With Thailand, thanks to the home field advantage, the team from the land of the golden pagodas has the advantage of cheering and the ability to adapt well to the environment. In particular, the 3x3 women's and 5x5 women's events of Thailand always maintain a stable performance, becoming a significant barrier in the journey to find a medal for Vietnam. Otherwise, although not ranked in the strongest medal competition group, Malaysia and Singapore often create surprises, especially in the 3x3 event.

Source: https://cand.com.vn/Tieu-diem-van-hoa/hai-hlv-nuoc-ngoai-mang-trong-trach-tranh-hcv-voi-bong-ro-viet-nam-i789716/