Basketball 

HÀ NỘI — Defending champions 3F Galaxy by Rekommend AI endured a disastrous start to their title defence, crashing to a heavy defeat in the opening match of the Vietnam Pro-Am Basketball Championship brought by VNPAY (VBC) on October 26 in Hà Nội.

Underdogs Thanh Hà Tsunami Dreamers stunned the crowd at Cầu Giấy Gymnasium with a dominant and disciplined performance from the opening tip.

Quang Anh 'Sugar' fired Tsunami into an early lead with 10 quick points, setting the tone for a relentless night. Nguyễn Thanh Tùng and Kierell Green kept that momentum flowing, finishing with 21 and 22 points respectively as Tsunami controlled the game to the final buzzer.

3F Galaxy pushed to rally behind captain Kentrell Barkley, who delivered a strong double-double of 17 points and 21 rebounds. Mike Hào and Thái Quang also battled to keep the champions within reach. However their efforts were not enough to prevent an 86-69 loss.

Green earned MVP honours with 22 points, 16 rebounds and three assists as Tsunami celebrated a statement victory in the first step of their campaign.

In the later match, Russell Vitale shone brightly in his VBC debut, proving himself not only MVP of the game but one of the standout performers of the entire day. He drained six three-pointers while all his teammates contributed to the scoring, powering Next Level Hyperhall to a commanding 97-57 win over Hustle Hòa Bình.

Earlier, Hidden Dragons fell 69-89 to Phòng Không - Không Quân PEAK, and Ba Đình swept aside Hà Nội 96-63.

Carrying the message 'Stand As One,' the VBC is recognised as the largest amateur basketball event in Việt Nam. The national finals bring together the 10 strongest teams who have emerged from three fiercely contested regional qualifiers.

Organised by New Sports, a pioneer in developing a multi-sport ecosystem in the country, the VBC aims to provide a platform for players of various levels to compete and grow, while helping drive community sport as the grassroots foundation for elite development.

Through these tournaments, New Sports says it seeks to not only offer a professional arena for athletes but also contribute to the advancement of community sports, with a long-term ambition of helping Vietnamese sport reach the international stage. — VNS