The Vietnamese pencak silat team successfully defended its No. 1 overall position at the 2026 Asian Pencak Silat Championships.
The championship's decisive final bouts were held at the Dong Nai City Sports Arena.
Vietnam fielded its strongest lineup for this year's tournament and won gold medals through Tran Thi Kim Loan (women's 45kg), Duong Thi Hai Quyen, Le Thi Van Anh, Nguyen Le Quynh Chi, Pham Thi Phuong Thuy, Tran Thi Diep, Le Quynh Anh, Nguyen Quang Linh, Vu Van Kien, Vo Thanh Hieu, Nguyen Tan Sang, Dinh Tien Cuu, Cao Van Quy, Le Van Toan, Le Ngoc Vu, and Nguyen Thi Yen Linh.
Among the standout performances, athlete Nguyen Tan Sang successfully defended his men's 80kg title. Facing Malaysia's Afiq Aniq Binn Fazly in the final, Tan Sang dominated the bout and scored effectively to claim the championship on home soil. The athlete, representing Ho Chi Minh City Sports and the Vietnamese national pencak silat team, said he was satisfied with his performance in Dong Nai.
In addition to its 16 gold medals, host Vietnam also won seven silver medals and two bronze medals across the events it entered.
Vietnam finished first in the final medal standings with 16 gold, seven silver, and two bronze medals. Indonesia placed second with six gold and four silver medals, while Malaysia finished third with five gold, six silver, and two bronze medals. Thailand, the Philippines, Kazakhstan, Singapore, India, and Chinese Taipei followed in the overall standings.
This marked the second consecutive time Vietnam has hosted the Asian Pencak Silat Championships.
"We highly appreciate the efforts and achievements of the Vietnamese athletes. The results reflect the technical preparation that the coaching staff has carried out for each athlete over the past period," said Tu Thi Le Na, head of Vietnam's pencak silat discipline.
