First Secretary of the Vietnamese Embassy in Italy Nguyen Thanh Vinh (R) and Pham Xuan Tong, the founder of The International Qwankido Federation (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - The International Qwankido Federation, a member of the Vietnam Vovinam (traditional martial arts) Federation (VVF), hosted the first ever world championship for teenagers in Padova city in the Veneto region of Italy from April 23 – 24.
Nguyen Thanh Vinh, First Secretary of the Vietnamese Embassy in the country, highlighted the significance of the event, saying that this is a bridge contributing to further strengthening cultural relations and people-to-people exchange between Vietnam and Italy.
He spoke highly of the authorities of Padova city and the Veneto region for their coordination in organising the event, as well as efforts of the federation in promoting and developing Vietnam’s traditional martial arts in Italy in particular, and the world in general.
According to Pham Xuan Tong, the federation founder, the Vietnamese traditional martial arts have developed strongly in Europe, especially in Italy in recent years.
The event attracted the participation of 500 athletes from the arts clubs in 35 countries worldwide.
Many masters and athletes expressed their desire to study more deeply about Vietnamese history and culture, learn the Vietnamese language and visit the Southeast Asian nation.
Established in 1981 in Milan, Italy, and became a member of the VVF in 1990, the martial art is practiced in dozens of countries around the world./.
