Athletes compete at International Vovinam Cup 2022-Grand Master Nguyen Van Chieu. (Photo: VNA) Rome (VNA) – Nearly 100 athletes representing Vovinam Viet Vo Dao (Vietnamese martial art) Federations in Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, Romania, Spain and Vietnam have attended the International Vovinam Cup 2022-Grand Master Nguyen Van Chieu held recently in Montichiari city, Italy.
Speaking at the event which took place on December 10-11, Italian Ambassador to Vietnam Duong Hai Hung applauded the World Vovinam Federation for its great effort in popularising Vietnamese martial art to the world over the years and Vovinam Federation of Italy for hosting the tournament.
Vovinam has been developed for 86 years and spread widely to the world with more than two million people practicing in more than 60 countries, he said.
Luca, Marzochi, chairman of Vovinam Federation of Italy, said Vovinam was introduced in the country nearly 30 years ago, drawing the attention of a lot of Italians as it’s easy to practice. In recent years, despite a hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the federation has strived to popularise Vovinam among young people, especially in schools, through promotional activities, he said, adding that through practicing, they have a better understanding of Vietnam's cultural traditions.
A martial arts festival dedicated to Grandmaster Luu Van Trong of Binh Dinh Group’s Sa Long Cuong sect was also held in Italy’s Novara city on December 11.
The Sa Long Cuong sect is one of the traditional martial arts of Vietnam, which was founded in 1964 based on the traditional Binh Dinh martial arts that were handed down during the reign of King Quang Trung. The Sa Long Cuong sect has been taught in many countries, including Italy, Canada, France, and the United States. Trong has made a lot of contributions to introduce and expand the Vietnamese martial art in Italy./.
