First Secretary of the Vietnamese Embassy in Italy Nguyen Thanh Vinh (R) and Pham Xuan Tong, the founder of The International Qwankido Federation (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) - The International Qwankido Federation, a member of the Vietnam Vovinam (traditional martial arts) Federation (VVF), hosted the first ever world championship for teenagers in Padova city in the Veneto region of Italy from April 23 – 24. He spoke highly of the authorities of Padova city and the Veneto region for their coordination in organising the event, as well as efforts of the federation in promoting and developing Vietnam’s traditional martial arts in Italy in particular, and the world in general. According to Pham Xuan Tong, the federation founder, the Vietnamese traditional martial arts have developed strongly in Europe, especially in Italy in recent years. Many masters and athletes expressed their desire to study more deeply about Vietnamese history and culture, learn the Vietnamese language and visit the Southeast Asian nation. Established in 1981 in Milan, Italy, and became a member of the VVF in 1990, the martial art is practiced in dozens of countries around the world./.
