(VNF)- The 4th World Vovinam (Vietnamese martial arts) Championship has opened in the capital city of Algiers, Algeria, attracting 200 contestants from 18 countries, including 22 from Vietnam.

The event is running at the Harcha Hasen Sport Complex in Algiers.

Among the noted delegates at the kick- off ceremony were Algerian Minister of Youth and Sports Mohamed Oueld Ali, Vietnamese Ambassador to Algeria Vu The Hiep, Deputy Chairman of the World Vovinam Federation (WVFF) Nguyen Van Chieu and Chairman of the Algerian Vovinam Federation (FAVV) Djouadj Mohamed.

Vietnamese Ambassador Vu The Hiep underscored that the championship helps bolster mutual understanding and amity between Vietnamese people and international friends and promote Vietnamese martial arts to the world.

The Vietnamese team bagged three gold medals on the first day of the tournament.

Vovinam is practiced with or without weapons in both attack and defense techniques, and includes training of the body as well as the mind.

Vovinam has grown significantly after 77 years of development.

The art is currently practiced in 12 African countries and has further taken off since the African Vovinam Federation (AVF) was founded in 2012.

In Algeria alone, over 22,000 followers of the art are found in 30 of the country’s 48 provinces and cities./.

by VNF