Vietnam's Vovinam Makes History at 2026 World Championship: 3 Gold Medals from Devastating Kicks

On the morning of October 28, 2026, at the National Indoor Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, the Vietnamese Vovinam team concluded a historic World Championship with 3 Gold Medals, 2 Silver Medals, and 4 Bronze Medals – the best performance of the traditional Vietnamese martial art since joining the international competition system in 2026. The journey began the previous night with a tense weigh-in. Head coach Nguyen Dinh Huy shared: “Yesterday I saw tears in the athletes’ eyes from worry, but when they stepped onto the mat, their legs were as steady as stone. That is the spirit of the Vietnamese.” In the men’s 56kg category, martial artist Le Van Phong, 22, from Thanh Hoa, shocked his Iranian opponent with a “chân tê chiến” (sweeping kick) at the end of the second round. The move was so fast that the judges had to review video to confirm the point. “I didn’t think I would win so quickly. I just focused on my breath and the opponent’s rhythm,” Phong said after the match, soaked in sweat. The other two gold medals came from female martial artist Nguyen Thi Anh Nguyet (52kg) and the mixed pair routine of Tran Quoc Anh and Pham Thi Lan. Nguyet, 24, a student at Ho Chi Minh City University of Sports and Physical Education, performed the “Long Ho Hoi” (Dragon and Tiger Meet) routine with a difficulty rating of 9.5, earning a perfect score from the judges. “I practiced this routine for three years, repeating each move 500 times a day. By the time of the competition, my body moved automatically, without thinking,” she confided. The team’s success is not just from individual effort. According to Tran Van Minh, head of the Vovinam department under the General Department of Sports and Physical Training, it results from a long-term investment strategy started in 2026: “We brought in coaches from France for tactical training, combining traditional techniques with modern sports science. Athletes receive weekly nutritional and psychological monitoring. This is the pinnacle of preparation.” However, the journey was not without thorns. In the men’s 60kg category, veteran martial artist Nguyen Hoang Son, 29, a 2026 Asian Games silver medalist, lost to a Kazakh opponent after an unexpected injury in the third round. He left the arena in a wheelchair, tears silently falling. “Son gave everything. Today’s wound is a lesson for the younger generation,” head coach Nguyen Dinh Huy said, his voice choked. Last night at the team’s hotel, members gathered to watch replays. Applause erupted with every beautiful move. “There are moments that need no words – we look at each other and understand. Sweat and blood have united us as a family,” Nguyen Thi Anh Nguyet said, eyes shining. The 2026 World Championship also saw the rise of young martial artists. At just 17, Bui Minh Hoang from Ha Tinh won a silver medal in the men’s 48kg category in his first international tournament. “I just wanted to step onto the mat and do what my teacher taught. The silver medal was a big surprise,” Hoang smiled. Tactically, the Vietnamese team applied a versatile style, combining traditional Vovinam low kicks with fast Taekwondo defensive techniques. Coach Nguyen Dinh Huy explained: “We don’t just teach moves; we teach how to read the match. They know when to attack and when to retreat to lure the opponent into a trap.” According to tournament statistics, the Vietnamese team had the highest successful strike rate in the competition, 78% out of 420 total attacking moves. In particular, the “chân tê chiến” (sweeping kick) was used successfully 15 times by Vietnamese athletes, scoring 23 points – a tournament record. Outside the arena, the Vietnamese martial arts community erupted with pride. On social media, the hashtag #VovinamLichSu reached 2 million views within 12 hours. Many called it a “miracle” compared to the 1 gold medal achieved at the 2026 championship. “The most important thing is not the medals, but that the younger generation now believes that traditional Vietnamese martial arts can stand shoulder to shoulder with major martial arts systems in the world,” Tran Van Minh emphasized. On October 29, the team will return home. At Noi Bai Airport, hundreds of fans are expected to greet them. Among them, there will certainly be red eyes – not from sadness, but from pride. As martial artist Le Van Phong said when leaving the mat: “The scar of a champion never hurts – it only reminds me that I have lived my passion fully.” From the deserts of Qatar to the Vovinam mat, every battle plays its own ballad. Today, that ballad rings out through devastating kicks, through drops of sweat, and through the heart of a martial arts-loving nation.