Ha Tinh (VNA) –The ninth Asian Pencak Silat Championship 2025, co-hosted by the World Pencak Silat Federation (PERSILAT), the Vietnam Sports Authority, and the Ha Tinh provincial People’s Committee was kicked off at the Ha Tinh Sports Gymnasium on July 25.
This year’s tournament brings together nearly 400 athletes and coaches from 10 Asian countries, namely Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, India, Laos, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. Competitors will vie for 32 sets of medals across the two main categories of combat and performance.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ha Tinh Vice Chairman Duong Tat Thang emphasised that hosting the event is both an honour and an opportunity to showcase the province’s cultural richness and dynamic development.
He highlighted Ha Tinh’s strong commitment to promoting public health and elite sports, noting that the tournament reflects the province’s determination to elevate its sporting profile.
PERSILAT Secretary General Teddy Suratmadji underlined the tournament’s significance, noting that since 2018, Pencak Silat has been on the “Road to the Olympics.” Expanding the global federation network remains a key criterion, with Asia currently having the most member federations. Vietnam is also among the top three countries in the world in terms of medal count./.
