Da Nang (VNA) – The United World Wrestling (UWW)’s U17 & U23 Asian Championships 2026 officially opened in the central coastal city of Da Nang on the evening of May 23, drawing nearly 900 athletes from 25 countries and territories across Asia.
The tournament is jointly organised by the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Vietnam Wrestling Federation and relevant agencies.
The tournament is taking place from May 23 to June 9 at Tien Son sport centre and My Khe beach park. Competitions are being held in four disciplines, including freestyle, Greco-Roman, women’s wrestling and U17 beach wrestling.
Vietnam’s national wrestling team has registered athletes in both the U23 and U17 categories for men and women, aiming to achieve its best possible results at the continental event.
According to the organising board, the U23 Greco-Roman wrestling competitions feature weight categories ranging from 55kg to 130kg, while the men’s freestyle division covers categories from 57kg to 125kg. Women’s freestyle events range from 50kg to 76kg.
For the U17 category, Greco-Roman wrestling includes weight classes from 45kg to 80kg, men’s freestyle from 45kg to 80kg, and women’s freestyle from 40kg to 73kg.
A key highlight of this year’s event is an 18-day series of competitions sanctioned by the UWW, including U23 and U17 wrestling, beach wrestling, Grappling, Pankration and amateur MMA events. Organisers described it as the most intensive schedule of UWW events ever hosted in Asia.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Tao Viet Hai, Deputy Director of the Da Nang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the city’s continued hosting of continental and global wrestling tournaments demonstrates not only Vietnam’s growing capability in organising international sporting events, but also the strong development of high-performance sports and the city’s broader international integration efforts.
He noted that only two weeks earlier, Da Nang had successfully hosted the 2026 Beach Wrestling World Series, leaving positive impressions on international participants through its professional organisation, hospitality and dynamic sporting environment. The success of that tournament, he added, has provided further momentum for Da Nang to host this year’s Asian championships./.
VNA
