As many as 490 athletes from 40 provinces and cities across the country are participating in the 19th National Youth Karate Championships, which kicked off in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on July 30.

During the event, co-organised by the Vietnam Karate Federation and the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the athletes will compete in three age groups of 14-15, 16-17 and 18-22 in order to scramble for 54 sets of medal.

The tournament aims to promote the Karate movement among young people. It also offers a chance for training boards to seek promising faces for their teams in preparation for the forthcoming s ports events such as the 27th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 27) and the 17 th Asian Games (ASIAD 17).

The event will run until August 2./.