Women's indoor volleyball players at Vietnam's 10th National Sports Games in 2026 will have to undergo sex verification if a test is requested, according to SGGP. The Games' technical sub-committee has issued a notice requiring delegations entering the volleyball competition to comply with sex checks for players in the women's event, based on a player-eligibility notice issued by the Vietnam Volleyball Federation (VFV) on 10 March 2026.
The requirement is an addition. The Games' indoor volleyball regulations had already been published without any provision on sex testing. With the sub-committee's notice, teams now know the rule before finalising their registrations.
How the VFV procedure works
As set out in the rule quoted by SGGP:
- If the tournament organisers consider it necessary and appropriate to establish a player's sex, they must seek approval from the VFV.
- If a team's head of delegation requests a test and both the organisers and the VFV approve, the requesting team must pay a deposit of 10 million VND to the organisers. The deposit is refunded if the test shows the player is not genetically female.
- Once the VFV approves, the head of the supervisory board informs the player's head of delegation and asks the organisers to carry out a standard genetic test using SRY gene PCR.
- Testing takes place at an approved medical facility near the venue or at a third-party site that guarantees privacy. The VFV keeps all samples and documents for record-keeping and confidentiality.
- Teams and players must cooperate fully. Until results arrive, the player may continue to play as a member of the team; turnaround time follows the laboratory's procedure.
- If the test shows no Y chromosome, the matter is closed. If a Y chromosome is found, the result goes to the head of the supervisory board and the VFV, and the head of the supervisory board informs the player and team and decides on the team's participation.
Background: from the VFV rule to the Games
| Date | Development |
|---|---|
| 10/3/2026 | VFV issues its player-eligibility notice |
| March 2026 | VFV announces that from 2026, eligibility of women players in all national-system competitions will be established by chromosome testing where necessary and appropriate |
| Before the new notice | Games indoor volleyball regulations published with no sex-testing provision |
| 28/10/2026 | SGGP reports the technical sub-committee has added sex checks for the women's event |
| 27/11-11/12/2026 | Indoor volleyball at the Games, Rạch Miễu Arena, Ho Chi Minh City |
In effect, a VFV rule written for the national competition system now also applies at the National Sports Games through the sub-committee's notice.
What comes next
Indoor volleyball at the 10th National Sports Games will run from 27 November to 11 December 2026 at Rạch Miễu Arena in Ho Chi Minh City. Eight teams have entered the women's event. The Army (Quân đội) men's and women's teams are the defending National Games champions.