City officials recently congratulated and commended the Baguio athletes of the Vovinam National Team, together with their coach, who participated in the 7th World Vovinam Championship.
In a resolution, local legislators stated that the city government recognizes and commends the outstanding performance and achievement of the athletes, together with their esteemed coach Bryan S. Olod, which brought pride and honour not only to the city but also to the country in the international arena.
Earlier, the World Vovinam Federation held the 7th Vovinam Championship last November 22-30, 2023 at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam which was participated by more than 650 athletes from 35 countries.
Voviman is a traditional martial arts which was founded in Hanoi, Vietnam and has been preserved, promoted and developed strongly by generations of martial artists through the World Vovinam Federation, with continental federation members from Asia, Europe and Africa.
The council claimed that the Philippine Vovinam National Team that participated in the said competition earned an outstanding performance in their respective battles.
Among the members of the national team are Baguio City athletes who brought significant contributions to the team’s overall performance.
Hergie T. Bacyadan won the gold medal in the 66-kilogram category, who defeated her Cambodian rival in the semifinals and outclassed her Russian foe in the finals making her the first and only Filipino world vovinam champion.
Further, Emmanuel Cantores settled for the silver medal in the 60-kilogram male category besting his rival from Laos in the elimination round, winning over his Chinese challenger in the quarterfinals, outpointing his Cambodian foe in the semifinals and bowed down to his Vietnamese rival in the finals. By Dexter A. See