2026 National Basketball Championship Concludes in Ho Chi Minh City

HO CHI MINH CITY — After nine days of competition, the 2026 National Basketball Championship concluded on 15 November 2026 at Phu Tho Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City, with 14 men's teams and 8 women's teams taking part from provinces, cities and sector-based units across the country. The tournament is organised annually by the Vietnam Basketball Federation (VBF) and is regarded as the highest level of domestic basketball. This year's field included familiar names such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Binh Duong, Khanh Hoa, Can Tho and Dong Nai, along with teams from the Public Security and Military sectors. The format consisted of a round-robin group stage followed by knockout rounds. In the men's competition, Ho Chi Minh City took the title, with Hanoi as runners-up and Da Nang third. In the women's competition, Binh Duong won the title, followed by Ho Chi Minh City and Khanh Hoa. An organising committee representative said: "This year's tournament showed clear progress in professionalism, from organisation and match officiating to ensuring proper playing conditions for the teams. This is an important basis for us to keep expanding the scale of the tournament in the coming years." On the technical side, the organisers rated the pace of play as faster, with teams placing greater emphasis on zone defence and fast breaks, while many young players had the chance to prove themselves. Notable performers of the season included Nguyen Van Hung (Ho Chi Minh City), Tran Minh Quan (Hanoi), Le Hoang Nam (Da Nang), Pham Duc Thang (Binh Duong) and Vo Thanh Tung (Khanh Hoa). Beyond the results, the highlight of Vietnamese basketball in 2026 was the Vietnam Basketball Federation's push to expand youth training programmes and school and university basketball competitions in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang. According to the VBF, the number of clubs and basketball courts nationwide continued to rise, especially in large urban areas, laying a foundation for the next generation. Regionally, 2026 was also the year the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) launched its inaugural season, featuring teams from the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Brunei. The arrival of the ABL showed that regional basketball was entering a professional era, while posing questions for Vietnamese basketball over investment, coaching and club governance if it is to join that stage in the future. Vietnamese basketball nonetheless still faces difficulties: few standard indoor arenas, team budgets relying mainly on socialised funding, and a thin pool of internationally qualified coaches and referees. These issues were raised at the season review meeting. According to the plan, in 2026 the Vietnam Basketball Federation will maintain the national championship system, expand youth competitions and strengthen international exchanges, aiming to raise the standing of Vietnamese basketball in the region.