Vovinam and the Olympic dream

The tournament not only witnesses top-level competitions but also outlines an ambitious development path, spreading the essence of Vietnamese martial arts and officially integrating it into the international Olympic sports movement.

Aiming to build a professional system.

The 2025 World Vovinam Championships, running until November 8th, will feature over 600 athletes from 26 countries and territories with developed Vovinam movements across four continents: Asia, Europe, Africa, and Oceania. Athletes will compete for 45 sets of medals, including 26 forms (kata) and 19 sparring weight categories. This top sporting event is not only a competition for the world's best martial artists but also carries a historical mission: to realize the Olympic dream for Vietnam's traditional martial art.

The Vietnamese Vovinam team has registered 39 athletes to participate in the sparring and performance events. Ngo Ba Huy, Head of the Vovinam Department at the Vietnam Sports and Physical Education Department and Vice President of the Vietnam Vovinam Federation, stated: “The 2025 World Vovinam Championships are of great professional significance. After a period of training and preparation, the Vovinam coaching staff has selected the best athletes to participate in this competition. We sincerely hope that each athlete will achieve the best possible professional results.” In 2023, when the World Vovinam Championships were held in Vietnam, the Vietnamese Vovinam team ranked first with 18 gold medals, including 10 in sparring and 8 in performance.

This tournament is being held under the broad strategic vision of the World Vovinam Federation (WVVF). Just before the opening ceremony, a meeting of the WVVF Executive Committee took place, discussing an action plan to achieve the WVVF's strategic goal of linking with WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) and the IOC (International Olympic Committee). Seeking to join these two most powerful sports organizations in the world is of immense significance, marking a strong transformation of Vovinam from a traditional martial art to a sport with a professional organizational and management structure according to international standards.

World Vovinam Federation President Mai Huu Tin expressed his hope that this event would not only be about successfully organizing a tournament but also about setting a concrete roadmap for the professionalization of Vovinam. Mr. Mai Huu Tin stated that the top priority set by the WVVF Executive Committee at the meeting was to discuss an action plan for joining WADA and the IOC. This is extremely important, serving as a stepping stone for Vovinam to be officially recognized as an Olympic sport, opening the door to sustainable development and globalization.

This is the final step for Vovinam to have the opportunity to be considered for inclusion in the list of official competitive sports at major sporting events, most importantly the Olympics. Close cooperation with organizations such as VADA and IOC in previous tournaments has demonstrated Vovinam's commitment to a clean and honest sport, providing a solid foundation for this goal. Setting VADA and IOC as strategic targets shows that the WVVF is aiming to build a transparent, professional, and responsible global Vovinam system, creating a strong foundation for long-term development.

Vietnamese Vovinam team competes at world championship.

VHO - The Vietnamese Vovinam team is preparing to compete in the 2025 World Vovinam Championships, taking place in Bali (Indonesia) from November 1st to 8th.

Present in over 70 countries and territories

Held in a renowned cultural tourism destination like Bali, the 2025 World Vovinam Championship serves as a bridge to promote the essence of Vietnamese martial arts to the international community. Vovinam is not only a martial art but also a national intangible cultural heritage of Vietnam. Through performances, rituals, and the spirit of competition, the World Championship contributes to showcasing the positive values of this martial art, thereby attracting more practitioners and enthusiasts of Vovinam from around the world.

Having been established and developed for over 85 years, Vovinam has spread far beyond Vietnam's borders, present in more than 70 countries and territories. Each World Championship (held every two years) is not only a competition for top martial artists, but also an opportunity for international friends to clearly experience the essence of Vietnamese culture – where the spirit of chivalry, compassion, and unwavering determination are intertwined in every technique.

Vovinam has been and continues to be an important and effective means of cultural diplomacy for Vietnam, promoting the image of the country, its people, and its rich national culture to international friends through festivals and socio-cultural events organized in Vietnam and abroad. It is a great source of pride for the Vietnamese people in particular and for martial arts enthusiasts worldwide in general.

The 2025 World Championships is the most important platform for the world's top martial artists to showcase their talent, technique, and sportsmanship. For national teams, especially the Vietnamese Vovinam team, the tournament is an opportunity to reaffirm their leading position, following their successes at national championships in 2025. This event also serves as the most accurate measure of Vovinam's professional level on the international stage.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/vovinam-va-giac-mo-olympic-179250.html