The 7th World Vovinam Championship kicked off in Ho Chi Minh City on November 24, with the participation of more than 650 athletes from 35 countries and territories worldwide, VNA reported.

They will vie for 44 sets of medals in both performance and combat events at the week-long festival.

At the opening ceremony, Vietnam's national Vovinam team and typical international athletes from all four continents performed "Essence of Vovinam", with many unique and surprising performances. In addition, 700 high school students from Chinh Nghia and Bau Sen primary schools in District 5 performed the Vovinam musical performance.

Vovinam has been an ambassador, an important means of effective Cultural Diplomacy of Vietnam to promote the image of Vietnam's Country - People - Culture imbued with national identity to friends internationally through festivals, political - cultural - social events held domestically and internationally. It is a great pride of the Vietnamese people in particular and of martial arts fans around the world in general. Thereby, affirming the level and capacity to organize and operate large-scale sports tournaments of Vietnam Sports and Vovinam Vietnam.

A performance at the opening ceremony. Source: thethao.sggp.org.vn

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Phan Van Mai said the championship offers a venue for domestic and international martial artists to share experience, and get a better insight into the land and people of Vietnam – the homeland of Vovinam.

Meanwhile, President of the World Vovinam Federation Mai Huu Tin, among 70 countries and territories practicing Vovinam, 51 have representatives in the federation.

The federation will further efforts to popularize the cultural values of Vietnam among international friends, he added.

More than 650 athletes from 35 countries and territories worldwide will vie for 44 sets of medals in both performance and combat events. Source: thethao.sggp.org.vn

Vovinam has been named a national intangible heritage under a decision recently signed by the Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.

The traditional martial art form was founded by the late master Nguyen Loc in 1938 in Hanoi. It has been preserved, promoted, and developed strongly by generations of martial art masters.

The World Vovinam Federation was established in 2008, a milestone in the development of the martial art form around the world, with continental federation members in Asia, Europe, and Africa.

Regionally, Vovinam was included in many SEA Games editions. It was an official sport of the 31st Games in Vietnam in 2022 and 32nd Games in Cambodia this May.

Representative of Vietnam Vovinam Federation and the Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee received the certificate of intangible cultural heritage from Dang Ha Viet, director of the department of physical education and sports - Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Source: thethao.sggp.org.vn

Currently, Vovinam is practiced by more than 2.5 million martial artists from about 70 countries and territories.

In Vietnam, Vovinam is expected to have athletes in all 63 cities and provinces. The martial arts will be introduced and pushed in schools.

The Vietnam Vovinam Federation plans to build a Vovinam Academy in HCM City to offer training for not only Vietnamese but also international martial art lovers.

At the same time, a dossier of Vovinam will be submitted to UNESCO for recognition as a world intangible heritage.

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