Cambodia’s national volleyball team is set to make its debut in the Southeast Asian regional tournament, the Sea V-League 2025. The competition, hosted by the Philippines, gets underway tomorrow.
An official from the Cambodian Volleyball Federation (CVF) stated that the Cambodian team is capable of competing against strong opponents and is not afraid of any of them.
Only five teams have earned the right to participate in the 5th edition of the V-League. Cambodia is joining the tournament for the first time this year, while the other four teams—Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam — have been competing since 2023.
Among these teams, Aing Serey Piseth, CVF secretary-general, highlighted Indonesia and Thailand as particularly strong, since both countries are sending highly experienced players. The two nations have each won the championship title twice.
“This year is different because both Indonesia and Thailand are calling back many of their veteran players, meaning they are fully prepared to welcome the new team, us. But we, Cambodia, are not afraid at all, because we now have the commitment and talent to compete,” Piseth told the media on Tuesday night, as the team departed from Phnom Penh International Airport.
The V-League 2025 is divided into two phases. The first is being hosted by the Philippines from July 9 to 13, while the second will take place in Indonesia from July 16 to 19.
Each phase has its own separate rankings and results. In 2023, Indonesia won both phases, but in 2024, Thailand won both outright. Vietnam finished 2nd and 3rd in 2023, but dropped to last in 2024.
Cambodia will get the debut on Huly 10, when they take on Vietnam on July 10 at 1.30pm. They will meet Indonesia on July 11, the Philippines on July 12 and finally Thailand, the reigning champions, on July 13.
Piseth noted that the 14-strong squad contains a ix of veterans and young athletes. They have been in training for the past two months, under the guidance of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sar Sokha, the president of the federation. He wants to ensure succession in the volleyball sector for the future.
“For Cambodia, we’re opening up opportunities for the younger players to get more game time. In sports development, we must create a succession pipeline. If we keep relying entirely on old players, it goes against the federation’s leadership vision and goals,” explained Piseth.
“Let’s wait and see how the mixed squad — both veterans and new players — perform together. Once we return from the V-League, we’ll make adjustments in preparation for the SEA Games at the end of this year,” he added.
Piseth noted that each of this year’s entrants are strong teams, with fairly even skill levels due to their intense training. Therefore, outcomes will depend heavily on how each team’s coach applies strategy and tactics.
“I’ve said it many times: at this point, our athletes are ready to face any country. Whether we win or lose, I believe we’ll perform well. We’re not overly optimistic, but we’re also not underestimating ourselves — we’re fully prepared to compete in this tournament,” he said.
