Kickboxing 

Triệu Thị Phương Thuỷ of Việt Nam lands a kick on Choi Eun Ji of South Korea in the women's 52kg class at the MAXFC 26 in Vũng Tàu on April 13. Photos of organisers

VŨNG TÀU — SEA Games champion Triệu Thị Phương Thuỷ knocked out Choi Eun Ji in the Max Fighting Championship 26's (MAXFC 26) which was organised for the first time in Việt Nam on April 13.

It was the only women's match between Thủy, Việt Nam's seven-time champion, and Choi, who had 16 pro matches in her pocket, in the 52kg category.

Choi was favourite as she had more experience, had already earned a belt in the tournament, and was taller than her opponent.

However, Thủy, also a master of Kun Khmer martial arts, was a tough warrior. She denied many of Choi's attacks before sending back powerful flying kicks and punches that put Choi on the canvas twice.

Referees stopped the match and gave a knock-out win to Thủy just 40 seconds into the second round.

In the men's 60kg, former SEA Games champion Nguyễn Quang Huy also earned a KO win in his first pro match against Park Jae Won.

Park's record of eight wins in a total of 12 pro matches was enough to place him at a higher level in the match. However, Huy showed off his superior technique along with excellent tactics. He pushed Park to the corners and his hooks and jabs did not give the Korean time to fight back. 

Nguyễn Quang Huy (left) knocked out Park Jae Won in the men's 60kg/

In two other matches of Vietnamese fighters, SEA Games winner Nguyễn Xuân Phương dominated his South Korean rival Kwon Gi Seop in the two first rounds of the 64kg class.

But his injury recurred unexpectedly and he could not maintain his performance in the third round when he was knocked out by Kwon who has fought 20 pro matches and secured 16 wins.

Võ Văn Thiên Ngân made his pro debut but he lost to powerful Japanese Yo Toguchi in the 54kg category.

The first MAXFC 26 also featured four other matches of international fighters from China, Australia and Taiwan.

Speaking to the media, Việt Nam Kickboxing Federation Vũ Đức Thịnh said tournaments like MAXFC 26 would help Vietnamese athletes to sharpen their technique and competitive mind. It would strongly help them at the sixth Asian Indoor Games and Martial Arts in November in Thailand.

Kickboxing came to Việt Nam in 2009 and has been growing in Hà Nội, HCM City, Bình Định, Thái Nguyên and Bà Rịa Vũng Tàu.

Vietnamese kickboxers have had many achievements. In two recent SEA Games, Vietnamese athletes won nine gold medals. 

Also on Apr 14, a cooperation agreement signing ceremony between the Department of Culture and Sports of Bà Rịa Vũng Tàu Province, Vietnam Kickboxing Federation and Cocky Buffalo Co., Ltd. on organising the 2024 kickboxing event competition in the province.

Thịnh said the cooperation would help promote and develop kickboxing nationwide and also Bà Rịa Vũng Tàu's strong points and tourism potential.

“From the attraction of high-performance sports, new products will be created, attracting more tourists to Vũng Tàu," said Huỳnh Đức Dũng, provincial deputy director of the Culture, Sports and Tourism.

"Bà Rịa Vũng Tàu is honoured to host the Việt Nam's first professional kickboxing event. This is the starting event for a series that will be held in the near future." VNS