Visakha (in blue) delivered disappointing performances at the WSVI Tournament 2025 in Taiwan, with the defending champions only managing to finish in 4th place. CVF
Aing Serey Piseth, secretary-general of the Cambodian Volleyball Federation (CVF), has described the failure of the Visakha volleyball team to defend their championship title at the 2025 Win+Streak Volleyball Invitation (WSVI) Tournament in Taiwan as a “nightmare”. He urged the team to forget the bad memory and refocus on representing the Cambodian national team at the upcoming 2025 SEA V.League.
He spoke with the media as he and the team arrived at Phnom Penh International Airport on Monday, May 5. He highlighted that the Cambodian players selected for the Taiwan tournament under the Visakha name are all national team members. They will now enter closed training to prepare for the 2025 SEA V.League, scheduled for July.
“I’m giving you one week to rest. But when you return, we must train intensely. We cannot afford anyone to show up late — because we still have our SEA V.League duty ahead in July,” he told the national squad members.
“We’ll be entering a closed training camp. That means no travelling. When you meet with your families, wives and children, ask for their understanding — we’ll be training in isolation for over a month. We need to lift our spirits again so we can perform well in the SEA V.League,” he added.
This marks the first time Cambodia’s national volleyball team has earned a spot in the SEA V.League. They earned their spot after becoming champions of the 2024 SEA V.League Challenge, held on home soil at the Morodok Techo National Stadium last September.
The team will compete with Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines across two legs.
The first leg will be held in the Philippines from July 11 to 13, with the second taking place in Indonesia from July 18 to 20.
Each leg will have its own standings and a separate trophy awarded to the winner of that leg. Therefore, the strongest team — if it wins both legs — will be crowned two-time champions.
Visakha were expected to progress to the final, but were forced to accept a loss in the play-offs for third and fourth place. CVF
At the 2023 competition, Indonesia won both legs. In 2024, Thailand replicated the feat.
The Vietnamese side – which placed second and third respectively in 2023 — has been cut from the 2025 tournament after finishing last in both legs in 2024.
Under tournament rules, they have been relegated and will compete in the 2025 SEA V.League Challenge, where they will face Malaysia, Singapore, Laos and Myanmar. The top team will earn a spot in the 2026 SEA V.League.
