Vietnamese Sports has not finalized the list of athletes for SEA Games 33, denying the elimination of Bich Tuyen

On the evening of September 19, a representative of the Vietnam Sports Administration said that the list of Vietnamese sports delegations attending the 33rd SEA Games had not been finalized. Therefore, there was no way that Bich Tuyen would be disqualified and not be able to attend the congress.

Bich Tuyen (left) is the main hitter of the Vietnamese women's volleyball team - Photo: TTO

On September 19, Thailand News Agency reported that Bich Tuyen will not be participating in the 33rd SEA Games (held in Thailand) in the Vietnamese women's volleyball team.

There is no way Bich Tuyen will be eliminated.

The 33rd SEA Games will take place from December 9 to 20, 2025 in Thailand. Information about the Vietnamese women's volleyball team - the biggest rival of the Thai women's volleyball team at the Games - has received the attention of fans of both countries.

Previously, last August, Bich Tuyen - the main hitter of the Vietnamese women's volleyball team under the LPBank Ninh Binh Club - withdrew from the national team, not participating in the 2025 Volleyball World Championship held in Thailand. Tuyen said the new regulations of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) were not transparent, fair and disrespectful to athletes.

Over the years, Bich Tuyen has also had to endure a lot of pressure due to information related to her gender.

Speaking to Tuoi Tre Online on the evening of September 19, a leader of the Vietnam Sports Department said that there was no way the sports industry would remove Bich Tuyen's name from the list of registrations to participate in the 33rd SEA Games.

This person said: "The preliminary list of athletes to attend the congress was sent by the countries to the SEA Games 33 Organizing Committee around June and July 2025. However, that is only a preliminary list. Up to this point, the sports industry is still in the process of reviewing personnel in the teams, and no team has finalized the list to attend the SEA Games 33. Many national teams have not even focused on training for the SEA Games because the athletes are at clubs competing in domestic tournaments.

According to regulations, one month before the opening of the SEA Games, new countries must register the final list of athletes to participate in the Games. Therefore, the information in Thai newspapers saying that Bich Tuyen was not registered by the Vietnamese sports delegation to participate in the 33rd SEA Games is completely incorrect."

The Vietnamese sports delegation has not yet finalized the list of athletes attending the 33rd SEA Games - Photo: TTO

Gender Testing: A Controversial and Painful Issue

The leader of the Vietnam Sports Administration said that the 33rd SEA Games Organizing Committee has not issued any document requiring gender testing of all athletes participating in the Games. The gender testing is currently carried out according to the regulations of international sports federations.

For example, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) stipulates that from September 2025, all track and field athletes in the world must take a gender test; if they pass, they will be allowed to compete.

SEA Games is a competition within this competition system, so all Vietnamese athletes will have to undergo testing domestically before participating in the Games. Currently, many athletes of the team have been and are in the process of being tested.

Regarding volleyball, the FIVB currently has no document requiring athletes to undergo gender testing. However, the FIVB has the right to randomly test athletes if there is any suspicion. This may also be done at the 33rd SEA Games.

Recently, in the meeting on September 11, the executive committee of the Vietnam Volleyball Federation (VFV) agreed: "The determination of gender disorder for athletes to participate in tournaments in the official competition system of Vietnam will be carried out according to specific instructions of FIVB. Functional units and conditions to ensure the accuracy of this determination will be implemented starting from 2026; Athletes of the team participating in the SEA Games will be tested for their qualifications according to the regulations of the SEA Games organizing committee, and the instructions of the Vietnam Sports Department".

The regulation of testing the gender of athletes has been and continues to be a controversial topic in the world. Using a simple test form, then concluding that the athlete is not qualified to participate in a tournament on the issue of gender has caused many athletes to suffer. Many athletes have had to give up their careers, leaving their lives unfinished.

A Vietnamese athletics coach said: "My locality currently has a few female athletes, but as they grow older, they develop more like males. They are still young, and it is very difficult to select them to pursue athletics, but now the new regulations require gender testing, which has confused both teachers and students. Many families and athletes said they refuse to have their gender tested and will quit the sport.

Every person born has their gender determined on their records by the health and legal authorities of that country. During the process of growing up, each person's body mechanism is different, if it does not follow the right trajectory, it is not the athlete's fault. They, more than anyone, are the most disadvantaged and miserable. Not to mention, when they become famous, they are considered criminals by society.

The 2024 Paris Olympics have been the scene of heated controversies surrounding female boxer Imane Khelif (Algeria, 66kg category). Previously in 2023, this female boxer was disqualified from the Women's World Boxing Championship because she was suspected of being male. However, she was later confirmed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to be eligible to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics in the women's boxing category and later won gold medal.

The story of testing athletes' gender, testing methods, effectiveness and consequences is therefore still a controversial issue in world sports.

KHUONG XUAN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/the-thao-viet-nam-chua-chot-danh-sach-vdv-du-sea-games-33-phu-nhan-loai-bich-tuyen-20250919220144893.htm