The event was attended by Huỳnh Thúy Vân, a member of the Provincial Party Committee and Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People’s Council, underscoring the political and cultural significance of the sector.
Rooted in long-standing cultural values and supported by generations of martial arts masters, Gia Lai’s traditional martial arts movement has grown steadily, securing its place in the province’s social and cultural life.
Over the past term, the former Binh Dinh Provincial Traditional Martial Arts Federation and the former Gia Lai Provincial Traditional Martial Arts Association organized 16 provincial-level belt promotion exams and four national-level exams authorized by the Vietnam Traditional Martial Arts Federation.
The province now counts two international grandmasters, 27 grandmasters, 21 senior masters, 86 masters, 115 associate masters, 432 national-level coaches and assistant instructors, and three international referees. The national federation has also posthumously honored 23 grandmasters for their contributions to preserving and promoting Vietnamese traditional martial arts.
At the grassroots level, training and exchange activities have expanded across communities with strong martial arts traditions, including Tây Sơn, Tuy Phước, Quy Nhơn, An Nhơn, Hoài Nhơn, Phù Cát, An Khê, Pleiku, and Đăk Pơ. Schools have increasingly integrated traditional martial arts into their curricula, resulting in the establishment of 19 school-based clubs and helping nurture a new generation of practitioners.
To bolster training quality, competition systems have been built into school programs. Traditional martial arts have been included in the Phù Đổng Health Festival, first with basic forms and later with sparring events, helping dispel the perception that the discipline is primarily performance-based. Many young athletes have since transitioned into national, SEA Games, and international competitions in other martial arts disciplines, building on their traditional martial arts foundation.
Certificates of merit from the Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee were awarded to athletes achieving outstanding results at the 2025 national championships.
In the photo: Athlete Trần Thị Thảo Hiền wins gold at the 2025 National Traditional Martial Arts Championship. Photo: H.V
Looking ahead, the federation plans to accelerate digital transformation and build a comprehensive operational database. Trần Duy Linh, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the Federation and Director of the Bình Định Traditional Martial Arts Center, said the goal is to expand the movement across the province, establishing at least 45 school-based clubs and ensuring 60 communes and wards maintain active clubs by 2030.
For high-performance sports, the federation aims to maintain traditional martial arts as a provincial priority, keeping Gia Lai among the top performers at the 2026 and 2030 National Sports Games.
International exchange will also be a focus. The federation plans to attract 1,000–1,500 masters and practitioners to each of the International Vietnamese Traditional Martial Arts Festivals in 2026 and 2029. It also aims to organize at least one overseas performance program and to promote “Bình Định Martial Arts Night” as a signature tourism product.
Federation Chairman Bùi Trung Hiếu said the organization will continue to mobilize resources, foster unity, and encourage innovation to ensure the sustainable development of traditional martial arts. The federation, he added, intends to act as a bridge connecting martial arts schools, masters, and younger practitioners to raise Gia Lai’s profile both nationally and internationally.
At the Congress, delegates elected an Executive Committee of 25 members. Mr. Bùi Trung Hiếu, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and former Chairman of the Bình Định Provincial Traditional Martial Arts Federation, was elected as the first Chairman of the Gia Lai Provincial Traditional Martial Arts Federation for the 2026–2030 term.