The Thanh Long Cup, Vietnam’s first international traditional martial arts championship, will take place from August 6-13 at the My Dinh Indoor Athletics Gymnasium in Hanoi City, the Chairman of the Vietnam Traditional Martial Art Federation announced at a press conference on July 9.

Thang Long Cup, the largest-ever event of its kind, will bring together some 36 martial art teams from all over the country, such as Hanoi, Binh Dinh Province, Ho Chi Minh City, Nam Dinh Province and Nha Trang Province, as well as 50 international teams from 35 countries, including the United States, Australia, France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain, India, Myanmar and Laos.

In the competition, martial art athletes will compete in five categories in 19 weight classes, ten for male and nine for female competitors.

On this occasion, the organising board is also launching the International Vietnamese Traditional Martial Art Federation.

The traditional Vietnamese martial arts are national heritages developed throughout the country’s history of fighting against invaders.

The traditional martial arts enjoy a high level of popularity among Vietnamese people as a way to stay physically healthy and mentally focused, and as a self-defence technique.

VNA