The team is expected to field 12 athletes in kumite events at the Games, with officials targeting another medal haul despite increasingly fierce competition from rival provinces.
“Gia Lai’s karate team is expected to participate in the Games with 12 athletes in the kumite events. Our goal is to win a set of medals,” said Phan Văn Hường, Deputy Director of the Pleiku Center for Sports Training and Competition.
“Although it will be very challenging due to fierce competition, the whole team will strive to achieve this target and contribute to Gia Lai’s overall success”.
Despite having just two years to prepare a new generation of competitors, Gia Lai exceeded expectations at the 2022 National Sports Games, winning one gold medal and two bronze medals.
Nguyễn Thị Khánh Ly captured the province’s first-ever karate gold medal at the National Sports Games, claiming victory in the women’s 47 kg kumite category. Bronze medals were secured by Đỗ Võ Đại Hùng in the men’s 50 kg division and Ngô Thế Vinh in the men’s 60 kg category.
Karate delivered the largest share of medals for the Gia Lai delegation, which finished the Games with two gold, one silver and four bronze medals overall.
The team has continued its momentum since then. In 2023, Dương Văn Khải won a gold medal at the Southeast Asian Championships. One year later, Gia Lai athletes collected five medals at the same tournament, including three silver and two bronze medals. Nguyễn Thị Hà Phương led the effort with two silver medals and one bronze.
According to the Pleiku Center for Sports Training and Competition, Hà Phương and Khải are currently members of Vietnam’s national karate team. Together with Khánh Ly, they are expected to form the core of Gia Lai’s medal challenge at the 2026 Games.
Coach Bùi Công Tuấn said the National Sports Games remain the team’s primary objective and the culmination of years of preparation.
“The entire team has identified the National Sports Games as the biggest goal of the year and the culmination of a long period of hard work”, Tuấn said. “The athletes are focused on reaching peak performance for this important event. We have developed a detailed plan, including warm-up tournaments and training camps ahead of the Games”.
The preparations have already produced encouraging results. At the 12th Central Region National Karate Club Championships in May 2026, Gia Lai athletes won 19 medals, including six gold, five silver and eight bronze.
The team’s competitive schedule will continue with the National Youth Championships in Thanh Hóa Province in June and the National Club Championships in Đắk Lắk Province in July. Ahead of the National Sports Games in November 2026, athletes will also take part in three training camps in Ho Chi Minh City.
With a core group of experienced athletes and a structured preparation program, Gia Lai hopes to translate recent success into another strong performance at Vietnam’s premier domestic sporting event.