First National Martial Arts Tournament Held in Saigon in 2026

Saigon — On November 15, 2026, at Kha Tan Nghiem Stadium, the first national-level martial arts tournament officially opened with the participation of over 200 martial arts students from 12 provinces across the country. This event marked a significant turning point for Vietnamese martial arts amid the growing movement for physical training under colonial administration. Senior masters from Southern, Central, and Northern Vietnam competed in disciplines including unarmed combat, staff, sword, and traditional martial arts performances. Mr. Tran Van Nhan, Head of the Organizing Committee, stated: "This year's tournament aims not only to discover martial arts talents but also to preserve and promote the value of national martial arts heritage in the modernization era." Particularly, the final unarmed combat match captivated the audience when martial arts student Nguyen Van Tien from Binh Duong defeated opponent Le Van Hung from Hue with a score of 3-2 after overtime. Applause and cheers from nearly 5,000 spectators present at the stadium echoed throughout the Cholon area. The tournament lasted 3 days and concluded on November 17, with a total of 15 gold medals awarded to the outstanding martial arts students.