Nguyen Van A stages a stunning comeback in the national traditional martial arts championship final 2026

On the evening of August 12, 2026, at the Military Region 7 Gymnasium in Ho Chi Minh City, the 70kg final of the 2026 National Traditional Martial Arts Championship took place dramatically between Nguyen Van A (Binh Dinh) and Tran Van B (Hanoi). This was the most anticipated matchup of the season, as both had been undefeated since the qualifying rounds. Right after the opening bell, Tran Van B took the initiative with a series of low kicks, pushing Nguyen Van A into a defensive stance. The first round ended with B leading 10-9. However, in the second round, Nguyen Van A changed his tactics: he increased his movement, neutralizing the opponent's kicks with the characteristic parry technique of Binh Dinh martial arts. The decisive moment came in the third minute of the third round: a flying kick to the face staggered Tran Van B, and the referee immediately signaled a knockdown. Nguyen Van A seized the opportunity, pressed forward, and won by TKO at 2:35 of the fourth round. "I knew my opponent was strong in the first round, so I deliberately defended. By the second round, I began to read his rhythm. This victory is the result of three months of counter-attack tactical training with Coach Le Van C," Nguyen Van A shared after the match. For Tran Van B, this is his first defeat in two years. Hanoi's head coach, Pham Van D, said his student lost focus at the end of the third round. "We will analyze the video footage to learn lessons. The opponent deserved to win," he said. Statistics show that Nguyen Van A landed 47 accurate strikes out of 82 attempts (57.3%), while Tran Van B managed 32 out of 76 (42.1%). Particularly impressive was A's counter-attacking ability: he scored 15 points from counter-strikes, double that of his opponent (7 points). The 2026 National Traditional Martial Arts Championship gathered 120 fighters from 20 provinces. In the 70kg division, this is the first time a Binh Dinh fighter has won the title in six years. This achievement opens up opportunities for Nguyen Van A to participate in the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand later this year. The event also featured international experts from the Asian Traditional Martial Arts Federation. They highly appreciated the professional quality of the tournament and the potential of Vietnamese fighters. "Today's match shows that Vietnamese traditional martial arts are not only rich in identity but also meet modern combat standards," said Kimura Yuki, the federation's vice president. With this victory, Nguyen Van A confirms his top position in the national 70kg division. Experts predict he will be a golden hope for Vietnamese sports at the upcoming SEA Games.