Competing on home ground with 85 athletes, Gia Lai finished first overall in both major disciplines. The results reflected not only the strength of its competitors but also the preparation and strategic planning of the Binh Dinh Traditional Martial Arts Center.
Ho Chi Minh City fielded the tournament's largest contingent with 112 athletes. Following its merger with Binh Duong and Ba Ria - Vung Tau, its traditional martial arts team was considered a strong contender, reinforced by athletes from areas with established martial arts traditions.
Gia Lai dominates forms competition
Gia Lai established a commanding lead in the forms category, winning 24 gold, nine silver and 12 bronze medals to finish first overall.
Its 24 gold medals equaled the combined tally of the next four teams: Ho Chi Minh City and the Military with 10 each, and Dong Nai and Hanoi with two apiece.
Gia Lai's performance was underpinned by a strong grassroots martial arts movement and a disciplined training programme for the provincial team, with athletes delivering strong results across all three age groups.
In the 17-40 category, experienced competitors maintained their form. Nguyễn Quốc Sỹ won gold in Lão Mai Quyền, Phạm Đình Khiêm took the men's Thanh Long Độc Kiếm title, while Trần Thị Thảo Hiền won the women's Thanh Long Độc Kiếm event.
Younger athletes also made their mark. Nguyễn Thanh Phong, born in 2003, won gold in the men's Siêu Xung Thiên event, while fellow 2003-born athlete Lê Thị Hồng Trang claimed the Lão Mai Quyền title.
Gia Lai was particularly successful in the 51-60 age group, where masters Nguyễn Văn Cảnh, Võ Văn Tính, Phan Thanh Hòa, Võ Thanh Hùng and Nguyễn Đức Thắng captured five of the eight gold medals available.
The results highlighted the depth of Gia Lai's traditional martial arts network, with experienced masters continuing to practise, compete and promote the discipline across the province.
“We are delighted to continue contributing to the Gia Lai team at national tournaments as athletes”, said master Võ Văn Tính, a coach at the Binh Dinh Traditional Martial Arts Center.
“Our achievements motivate us to train harder, maintain our form and better serve both coaching and competition”.
Foreign athletes make championship debut
Held alongside the 9th International Vietnamese Traditional Martial Arts Festival - Gia Lai 2026, this year's championship also marked the first participation of foreign athletes.
The Russian team won two silver medals and one bronze in sparring, as well as a bronze in forms.
Morocco's Shaolin Giao Long team secured one silver and two bronze medals in forms, while the Văn Lang Võ Đạo team, also from Morocco, collected two bronze medals in the same discipline.
According to referees and supervisors, the results reflected the foreign athletes' performances, with no concessions made in awarding medals.
Their participation is expected to encourage more international teams to compete and contribute to efforts to standardise Vietnamese traditional martial arts techniques.
Outdoor sparring draws spectators
The sparring competition was staged outdoors at two rings in Nguyễn Tất Thành Square in Quy Nhơn Ward, allowing local residents and tourists to watch the action.
Many semifinal and final bouts were also broadcast live across Gia Lai's newspaper, radio and television platforms, extending the tournament's reach to martial arts followers in Vietnam and abroad.
H1 sparring, in which competitors do not wear helmets or body protectors, combined with rules strictly limiting clinching, produced fast-paced contests that drew strong audience interest.
Gia Lai sent 17 fighters into the semifinals across 33 weight categories, although the host team faced strong challenges from Thái Nguyên, Quảng Ngãi, the People's Public Security, Đà Nẵng and Ho Chi Minh City.
Ninh Bình emerged as one of the tournament's biggest surprises, finishing second overall in sparring with five gold, one silver and one bronze medal.
Gia Lai nevertheless retained the top position, collecting six gold, four silver and seven bronze medals. Experienced fighters Trần Võ Song Thương and Nguyễn Thị Thanh Tiền were among the key contributors to the host team's success.
Results boost confidence ahead of National Sports Festival
Senior Master Trần Duy Linh, Director of the Binh Dinh Traditional Martial Arts Center, said the championship was an important test ahead of the National Sports Festival scheduled for November 2026.
“This is an important test ahead of the National Sports Festival in November 2026. We required our coaches and athletes to train rigorously to achieve the best results, and we have exceeded our targets”, Linh said.
“Our forms athletes won six of the 10 events that will be contested at the National Sports Festival. The sparring team also maintained its edge, affirming our strength in several weight classes and giving us confidence for the road ahead”.