Vietnamese fighters at the 12th ATF Taekwondo Championships in HCM City on March 23. 1 Photo congan.com.vn

HA NOI (VNS) — More than 300 fighters are taking part in the 12th ASEAN Taekwondo Federation (ATF) Championships, which began at the Lanh Binh Thang Gymnasium in HCM City on March 23.

Fighters from 10 Southeast Asian countries such as Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia and Malaysia, besides the Philippines and Myanmar, will vie for 172 sets of medals, including 56 sets in the combat category and 116 for demonstrations.

ATF President Kris Wiluan said the tournament has drawn the largest number of fighters, illustrating the strong development of regional taekwondo.

The championship, which will end on March 26, is a chance for countries to prepare and select its best fighters for the 28th Southeast Asian Games in Singapore in June. The event also helps regional nations to exchange taekwondo promotion experiences and foster relations.

At the 11th ATF Taekwondo Championships held in Myanmar in 2013, Viet Nam ranked first with 24 gold, 12 silver, and nine bronze medals. — VNS