The tournament officially opened at the Gia Lai Provincial Sports Arena in Pleiku Ward, co-organised by the Gia Lai Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Department of Physical Training and Sports under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Athletes will compete in a ring set up at the arena across two age categories: 15-16 and 17-40. Host province Gia Lai is represented by 23 competitors.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Nguyễn Văn Ý, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the championship aims to promote both the development of muay training movements nationwide and the discovery of new sporting talent. He added that the event will help strengthen preparations for the national reserve team ahead of international competitions.
The championship is also expected to draw large crowds of local residents and visitors from other provinces, contributing to the promotion of Gia Lai’s tourism image under the message “Gia Lai - An Attractive, Safe, and Friendly Destination” and the brand “Gia Lai - The Great Highlands Touching the Blue Sea”.
During the ceremony, authorities awarded First-, Second- and Third-Class Labour Orders to 14 coaches and athletes who achieved outstanding results at the 2025 World Muay Championship in Turkey, and to 37 coaches and athletes who excelled at the 2025 Asian Muay Championship in Vietnam.
Among those honoured was Trần Bảo Sơn, Director of the Pleiku Center for Sports Training and Competition, who received the Second-Class Labour Order.