Dong Nai martial artist Hoang Trung Nguyen excellently wins gold medal at the World Kun Khmer Championships

Dong Nai martial artist Hoang Trung Nguyen, as part of the Vietnamese Kun Khmer team, excellently won a gold medal at the 2026 World Kun Khmer Championships in Cambodia.

Athlete Hoang Trung Nguyen (Dong Nai) on the podium receiving the gold medal in the men's 71kg category. Photo: Courtesy of the subject

The 6th Kun Khmer World Championship in 2026 concluded in the early hours of February 14 in Cambodia. The Vietnam Kun Khmer team made a strong impression by securing a dominant victory with 18 gold, 8 silver, and 10 bronze medals, surpassing host Cambodia to finish first overall.

Athlete Le Thanh Tri (Dong Nai) wins a bronze medal in the men's 63kg category. Photo: Courtesy of the subject

Athlete Duong Thi Hong Nhung stands on the podium receiving a bronze medal in the women's 48kg category. Photo: Courtesy of the subject

Previously, at SEA Games 32, Vietnam Kun Khmer made a strong impression by winning 5 gold, 7 silver, and 5 bronze medals, contributing to the overall success of the Vietnam Sports Delegation.

Meanwhile, host Cambodia ranked second with 17 gold, 15 silver, and 5 bronze medals, while Indonesia placed third with 2 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze medals.

Coach Dieu Van Sang and his team celebrate their achievements at the World Kun Khmer Championships. Photo: Courtesy of the subject

At the World Kun Khmer Championships, the Vietnamese Kun Khmer team fielded 35 martial artists, the core comprising athletes from provinces with well-established martial arts traditions such as Can Tho, An Giang, Tay Ninh, Gia Lai, Thai Nguyen, Nghe An, and Dong Nai, among others. Among them, Dong Nai contributed 3 athletes and coach Dieu Van Sang. Notably, all 3 athletes from Dong Nai won medals, contributing to the Vietnamese Kun Khmer team's overall achievements. Athlete Hoang Trung Nguyen helped Dong Nai secure the only gold medal at the championship in the men's 71kg weight class, while Le Thanh Tri won a bronze medal in the 63kg weight class and Duong Thi Hong Nhung won a bronze medal in the women's 48kg weight class.

The sixth World Kun Khmer Championships (2026) kicked off in Sihanoukville province (Cambodia) on February 10, bringing together 20 delegations from various countries and territories to compete for 46 sets of medals.

Kun Khmer is a traditional Cambodian martial art that shares many similarities with Muay Thai and Kickboxing, but has its own distinct competition rules. The martial art stands out for its close-range fighting style, which emphasizes elbow and knee strikes and demands high physical endurance, requiring athletes to quickly adapt both in tactics and stamina.

By Huy Anh – Translated by Mai Nga, Minho