Traditional martial arts tournament opens Tuy Phuoc Commune sports festival 2026

Eighteen-year-old martial artist Trần Nguyễn Bảo Ngọc has been named one of 15 recipients of the 2025 Ngô Mây Award, marking a significant milestone in a career defined by discipline and international success.

Authorities in Ia Ly commune in Vietnam’s Gia Lai province will hold a companion running event on March 22, offering participants a chance to explore the natural landscapes and cultural heritage of Kép village.

Goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien has received his first call-up to the Vietnam national football team, his club Hoang Anh Gia Lai announced on the morning of March 12.

Vietnamese striker Nguyễn Đình Bắc has been nominated in two individual categories at the 2026 Devotion Awards, underscoring a strong showing for the country’s football sector across this year’s shortlist.

Trekking is rapidly gaining popularity among young people in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, with increasing numbers joining hiking trips through forests and mountains in Gia Lai province, particularly on weekends and during the dry season.

Eight women’s football teams from Gia Lai, Quang Ngai and Dak Lak provinces will compete in the inaugural VTV5 Cup for Ethnic Minority Women’s Football Tournament from March 17 to 21 at the 15th Corps Stadium in Thong Nhat Ward, Gia Lai Province.

Table tennis continues to thrive in the western districts of Gia Lai province, maintaining steady growth and strong community participation despite the rising popularity of newer sports such as pickleball.

In an effort to create more vibrant cultural and sports spaces at the Cho Nho Night Street, Pleiku Ward (Gia Lai Province) will organize an artistic roller skating showcase themed “Glide to New Heights, Spread the Movement.” 

Vietnam’s leading Muay fighters delivered a series of dramatic and high-level bouts at the 2026 National Muay Club Championship in Pleiku, drawing large crowds and showcasing the country’s top martial arts talent.

Nearly 400 fighters from 41 muay clubs across Vietnam gathered in Gia Lai Province on Tuesday for the opening of the 2026 National Muay Club Championship, marking the first major sporting event in the province’s National Tourism Year 2026 programme.

Vietnamese football coach Vu Tien Thanh has left Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) to take over as head coach of Ninh Binh FC, the club announced on March 4.

The first-ever Bình Định Fight Night in Pleiku drew large crowds on 25–26 February as fighters delivered high-intensity bouts and traditional martial arts performances at Dai Doan Ket Square, marking a highlight event ahead of the 2026 National Tourism Year.

Vietnam has finalized a nine-member squad for the 2026 Youth Olympic boxing qualifiers, scheduled from March 5 to 16 in Thailand, naming Gia Lai boxer Đào Hà Tâm Du among those set to compete.

Young players from Gia Lai delivered one of their strongest performances to date at the 22nd Central Region Youth Chess and Xiangqi Championship, securing a large medal haul after a week of competition in Huế.

Excitement swept through Pleiku on February 25 as crowds filled Dai Doan Ket Square for the opening night of the two-day “Binh Dinh Martial Arts Night”, an event organized by the Gia Lai Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to promote traditional Vietnamese martial arts.

For more than a decade, instructor Siu Hồng Phát, 42, has sustained the Vovinam - Việt Võ Đạo movement in the remote Ia Pia commune of Gia Lai province, running low-cost martial arts classes that have become a key social space for local children.

In the remote border district of Đức Cơ District in Gia Lai province, a family of three has become a rare phenomenon in Vietnamese martial arts: both parents and their teenage daughter have competed for provincial teams, collecting national medals and bringing pride to their community.

As streets fill with the colours of spring ahead of Lunar New Year, athletes in Gia Lai are balancing family reunions with rigorous training schedules to ensure the festive break does not disrupt preparations for major competitions in the months ahead.

Senior martial arts master Lê Văn Công has led a sweeping effort to embed Vietnamese traditional martial arts into the school system of the former Phù Cát district, expanding local training clubs from three in 2017 to 22 across primary and lower-secondary institutions.

As Lunar New Year approaches, communes across the province are ramping up preparations for a series of traditional boat racing festivals, preserving a long-held cultural heritage as communities welcome the Year of the Horse 2026.

A cluster of unexpected mid-season resurgences from relegation-threatened clubs, led by Hoàng Anh Gia Lai (HAGL), has injected fresh unpredictability into the 2025–2026 V-League campaign, tightening the bottom-half race and reshaping the league’s competitive landscape.

Striker Nguyễn Đình Bắc has made tournament history after sweeping six individual awards at the AFC U23 Asian Cup, marking an unprecedented achievement for a Vietnamese footballer in an AFC competition.

Vietnamese cueist Nguyễn Quốc Nguyện has clinched the PBA Tour championship, marking his most significant victory nearly four years after entering the elite professional circuit.

The 2026 Youth Basketball Club Championship, set to run from February 6-8 in Gia Lai Province, is expected to showcase emerging young talent as 24 teams prepare to compete across primary, lower-secondary, and upper-secondary divisions.