SINGAPORE – Jordan Wong’s first taste of playing club volleyball abroad proved to be a smashing success as the national team player returned home as a Volleyball Vietnam League champion after his team Bien Phong MB beat Cong An TP 3-2 (25–22, 20–25, 21–25, 25–22, 16–14) in an exhilarating final on Nov 8 to seal a three-peat.

Understood to be the first Singaporean to win a professional volleyball league title, the 23-year-old told The Straits Times: “I never expected to be part of a championship-winning team during my first overseas stint.

“Initially, I saw this as a first step towards building my professional career, but winning the championship and seeing how much it meant to my teammates made me realise what an honour it was to be part of the team.”

The outside hitter with a spike height of 330cm left for Ho Chi Minh City on Oct 17 to play in the second phase of the season which features eight teams. He played in three of seven round-robin matches and also in the final.

Witnessing his teammates’ dedication helped him understand the commitment and discipline required to compete at a professional level, said Wong, who admitted he initially found it a challenge to adapt as the “environment and lifestyle are very different”.

He said: “The training intensity was something I wasn’t used to. We had packed schedules with two court sessions and a gym session almost every day leading up to the competition.

“There were moments of self-doubt, especially when I wasn’t performing as well as I wanted to, but the coach and my teammates were always encouraging and reminded me to enjoy the game.”

Wong also had to overcome the language barrier as the Bien Phong coach, Tran Dinh Tien, and most of the local players spoke little English. Having an English-speaking team doctor and another Thai import Jakkrit Thanomnoi, who understands some English and Vietnamese after playing four seasons in the league, helped a little .

“If necessary, the coaches will tell the team doctor to let me know what to do, or explain with physical actions what they want from me,” said Wong.

“While my coach doesn’t talk much to me, he gets the team to play around me by instructing my teammates on what they can do to better support me.”

Wong’s teammate Nguyen Ngoc Thuan, a SEA Games bronze medallist, praised the young Singaporean’s dedication and “serious attitude towards training”.

“I consider him an athlete with significant potential for growth,” said the 27-year-old. “If he continues to work hard, addresses his remaining weaknesses, and gains further competitive experience, Jordan is well-positioned to advance much further in the future.”

Wong, the son of Singapore’s discus legend James Wong, felt that the experience helped him grow mentally and technically as a player and helped him pick up finer details of the game, such as how the seasoned players read situations, make decisions and communicate on court.

Besides hoping to impart what he learnt to the national team and contribute towards improving their training environment as they prepare for the 2027 SEA Games, he is looking forward to another stint with Bien Phong next season, which spikes off around March.

He is also eyeing opportunities to play Men’s Volleyball Thailand League, which starts its second phase in January, as well as in Indonesia later in 2027.

He added: “There is still a lot of work to be done, particularly in terms of training and preparation, and I intend to do everything I can to be better prepared for the next opportunity that comes along.

“I hope my journey can show younger players back home that playing professionally overseas is not an impossible dream. It takes a lot of hard work, commitment and patience, and I would be happy if my experience can encourage them to believe in themselves and work towards their own goals.”