President of Vietnam Boxing Federation 'missing' for months, suspected of having judicial trouble in the US

Mr. Luu Tu Bao (right) was elected President of the Vietnam Boxing Federation.

Mr. Luu Tu Bao currently holds many important positions in Vietnamese boxing: President of VBF for the second term (2023 - 2028), President of Ho Chi Minh City Mixed Martial Arts Federation (HMMAF) for the first term (2022 - 2027) and CEO of Saigon Sports Club (SSC), one of the leading martial arts centers in Ho Chi Minh City.

In 2023, Mr. Bao was awarded the WBA Asia honorary belt for his contributions to the development of boxing in Vietnam. However, since the end of March 2025, after returning to the US for family matters, Mr. Bao (with dual Vietnamese and American citizenship) has been completely absent. Many members of VBF, HMMAF as well as localities said they could not contact, meet or receive direct instructions from him.

According to information from VBF, during Mr. Bao's absence, Mr. Nguyen Duy Hung, Vice President and General Secretary of VBF, has been running general affairs on his behalf. Under this management, major tournaments of Vietnamese boxing are still taking place as planned, such as: National Boxing Tournament for Strong Teams (April 2025); National Youth Boxing Championship (July 2025).

Meanwhile, public opinion information said that in a news report from San Francisco, the US mentioned a person named Bao Tu Luu who was in trouble with the law, and was even requested to be extradited by a court in a country. According to the above information, this person's case will be brought to trial in January 2026.

Speaking to Tien Phong on September 4, a leader of the Department of Sports and Physical Training said that he had received information about the incident. “We will immediately contact Mr. Bao personally as well as the relevant authorities to determine the incident. After receiving official information, the Department of Sports and Physical Training will make a decision. In case the incident occurs, the professional departments will have to report to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and work with the Federation to carry out procedures in accordance with regulations,” he said.

As planned, on September 5, the VBF Executive Committee will hold an important meeting to discuss and arrange temporary personnel to take on the duties of the Chairman, as well as discuss necessary issues for upcoming activities.