The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho came in second with 12 golds, 7 silvers and 3 bronzes, while Thanh Hoa province in the north-central region finished third, taking 4 golds, 4 silvers and 2 bronzes.

The tournament attracted 429 martial artists, including 179 females, from 28 provinces and cities across the country.  

They were divided into different age groups of between 13-15 and 16-18 to compete in the Combat and Demonstration events for 56 sets of medals.

Nguyen Van Chieu, vice president of the Vietnam Vovinam Federation, said there was no big gap in professional skills and tactics between participating athletes, showing localities’ increased investment in the martial art.

Vovinam is a traditional Vietnamese martial art which is practiced with and without weapons. It includes hand, elbow, kicks, escape- and levering techniques.