A contest entitled “Global Vietnam Martial Arts Star” was launched in Hanoi on August 31 to promote Vietnamese martial arts and look for talented artists for the Vietnamese film industry.

The contest, the largest ever of its kind, will be held by Vietnam Televisions department for foreign affairs VTV4 and the Viet Communications and Art Joint Stock Company.

According to VTV4 Director Bach Ngoc Chien, the contest aims to draw the participation of both Vietnamese and foreigners, who practise Vietnamese martial arts around the world.

The qualifying rounds will be held from October 1, 2009 to April 30, 2010. During which, each candidate will send a video clip of his/her abilities. The best clips will be televised and voted for by the TV audience.

The cream of the candidates will attend the finals, which will be held and televised live on October 3, 2010 to celebrate the 1000 th anniversary of the capital city of Thang Long-Hanoi .

Together with its history of national construction and defence, the Vietnamese people are always proud of their national tradition of sportsmanship. Vietnamese martial arts have now spread around the world./.