WVVF Ordinary Congress 2025

Bali, Indonesia (02 November 2025)

Leaders and representatives from 26 countries come together in Bali for the WVVF Ordinary Congress, marking an important milestone of connection, growth, and unity within the global Vovinam community.

The WVVF Ordinary Congress takes place as part of the 8th World Vovinam Championships in Bali, Indonesia – a world-renowned destination rich in culture and heritage.

Hosting the championship in such a vibrant cultural setting creates a meaningful bridge to promote the essence of Viet Vo Dao to the world.

Welcome Speech:

– Dr. Tin thanks to host country and Mr. I Nyoman Yamadhiputra for his huge effort in organizing this event, and he thanks everybody for their attendance at the Congress.

Activity report for the previous years: Speech by Mohammed Djouadj.

The leadership issue within the Indian Vovinam Federation has been successfully resolved, with Mr. Praveen Garg now serving as President of the India Vovinam Association. However, a similar situation has recently emerged in Belgium. Dr. Mai Huu Tin emphasized his intention to address this matter in the near future and to seek a collaborative solution with all parties involved. He also requested that the representatives of the continental federations present reports on their current activities and progress.– Activities on the Continental:

Europe:

Mr. Florin Macovei starts and adds some remarks on the activity in Europe. The European Federation has many experiences in hosting championships on a regular and continuous basis, with a single pause during the COVID-19 pandemic. Before, European Championships were hosted separately for Juniors and Seniors, and for the first time in 2024, a championship was hosted with both age groups, finding a balance regarding the calendars between the WVVF World Championships and the EVVF European Championships.

Apart from the Championships, the EVVF organizes a seminar on a yearly basis. Unfortunately, some of its member countries cannot attend all the meetings, such as Belarus, Russia and also

Turkey. Mr. Florin Macovei and his team within the executive board intend to find a solution and keep involving as many country members as possible. Lastly, he mentions that the EVVF, with its experience and diversity from 12 country members, can contribute to the work and success of the WVVF by sending members to the WVVF commissions.

Africa:

Mr. Mohammed Djouadj summarizes that currently 25 countries are part of the African Vovinam Federation (AVF-FAV). However, there are several countries that have their own difficulties attending the WVVF Championships. The African Federation tries to organize seminars and championships on many occasions, but due to conflicts in some of these regions, some countries will continue to have difficulties joining these activities. Mr. Mohammed Djouadj reports that he tries to have Vovinam included in the African Games, which will be held in Andorra in December this year. Mr. Mansour Fall reminds everyone about the history of the African Federation. Vovinam has been introduced to Africa by French-speaking masters in French-speaking countries. With the help of Mr. Mohammed Djouadj many English-speaking countries could be included as well, while establishing a systematic structure for future developments.

Asia:

Mr. Mohammad Nouhi (President of the Asian Vovinam Federation, AVF) cannot attend the meeting. As its General Secretary and on behalf of the AVF, Mr. Praveen Garg presents their activities. He congratulates the WVVF on its success in various fields over the past years. With over 20 countries in the federation, the continuous efforts to host and organize technical camps and Asian championships. Moreover, India has indicated that it would like to host the next World Championships in 2027.

Australia:

Dr. Mai Huu Tin adds that Australia is now officially part of Asia and should therefore be included in future events of this federation. This, on the other hand, means that the WVVF only misses a representative from the American continent. To succeed in this goal and to help the WVVF continue its development, he would like to find and discuss ideas on how to approach and include the various Vovinam practitioners.

Introduction of Vovinam Digital and Guardian Girls Vovinam Project:

Mr. Bach Ngoc Chien delivered a presentation introducing and reporting on the key activities of the Vovinam Digital Project, highlighting its vision, achievements, and upcoming initiatives.

Establishment of an Official Member Database

• The project’s primary objective is to build a comprehensive, reliable digital database of all Vovinam practitioners worldwide.
• Through this system, WVVF will be able to record and manage detailed information such as member counts, rankings, and countries of origin.
• This centralized data will also enable the WVVF to provide accurate statistics to National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and other governing bodies, showcasing Vovinam’s global reach.

Purpose of Digitalization

• Mr. Chien emphasized that the digital transformation of Vovinam is not meant to replace traditional, in-person training, but to enhance and support it.
• The platform will assist senior instructors who may face physical limitations in teaching and will allow students who cannot attend international events to continue learning remotely through digital tools and online courses.

Revenue Generation and Member Services

• The introduction of a Vovinam ID for all members is a key feature of Vovinam Digital. This initiative aims to create both value and sustainability for practitioners and the federation.
• Currently, approximately 300 members have registered in the system. Mr. Chiến invited all congress participants to join and promote the use of the platform within their networks.
• The revenue model ensures that as membership grows, the project will develop into a selfsustaining ecosystem benefiting the entire Vovinam community.

Promotion and Outreach Activities

The Vovinam Digital platform will serve as a hub for promotion, communication, and engagement through multiple channels:

• Websites and Social Media:
• Vovinam.net.vn – an online archive and “museum” of Vovinam’s history and current activities.
• Vovinam.digital – focused on federation news and administrative functions.
• Vovinam Academy – an upcoming site to list certified schools and offer digital training programs.
• Vovinam Digital YouTube Channel – hosts instructional videos and other multimedia content. Mr. Chiến encouraged all countries to contribute materials, noting that shared content can also generate additional revenue for the WVVF.
• Vovinam.world – consolidates information from national federations across the globe.
• Vovinam Fest (formerly Vovinam Dance): The event will be rebranded as “Vovinam Fest” next year, with expanded international participation. Building on the success of the previous format, which attracted many newcomers and increased public interest, Vovinam Fest will focus on all levels of practitioners, not just professional athletes, and will be organized regularly.
• Guardian Girls Vovinam (GGV) Initiative:
• Mr. Chien introduced the GGV project founded by Japanese actor Shin Komayada, initially centered on Japanese martial arts and supported by the Government of Japan. The initiative promotes gender equality and aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5. This alignment opens the possibility of UN funding to further support the project’s global expansion.
• Future Cooperation and Sponsorship: Mr. Chien expressed optimism that these initiatives will help Vovinam attract industrial partners and corporate sponsors. The broader and more visible the project becomes, the greater the potential for meaningful collaboration.

Closing Remarks:

• Mr. Bach Ngoc Chien invited all members to actively participate in Vovinam Fest, noting that last season’s winner received a USD 2,000 prize. He reaffirmed his strong commitment to advancing Vovinam’s digital transformation and international recognition.
• Dr. Mai Huu Tin emphasized the importance of supporting these initiatives, sharing that nearly USD 1 million has already been invested in the projects presented by Mr. Bach Ngoc Chien. He encouraged every federation and practitioner to contribute to at least one initiative, stressing that collective participation will lead to shared success.

• Dr. Mai Huu Tin noted that most current expenditures have come from his personal funding. While willing to continue supporting financially, his long-term goal is for the WVVF to become financially self-sustaining and capable of managing its global activities independently.
• He also shared updates on the Global Vovinam Academy, currently under construction on a 5-hectare campus in Ho Chi Minh City. The facility will include dormitories for 500 students, training and study areas, and partnerships with universities. The goal is to train around 10,000 students annually, with the top 100 expected to become future global leaders in Vovinam.

• Dr. Tin further pointed out that the WVVF has yet to establish cooperation with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). One of his main objectives as President is to align Vovinam with the Olympic movement—not necessarily to join the Olympic Games, but to meet international governance and compliance standards. He noted that while much progress has been made, additional rules, standards, and procedures must be developed and will be periodically reviewed by the WVVF Executive Board.

• Mr. Mansour Fall expressed his support for Mr. Chien’s proposals and suggested setting realistic registration milestones, focusing on steady improvement rather than overly ambitious targets.

Further steps regarding the organizing of the WVVF:

Vittorio briefly reported on the work of the Commission and emphasized the need for support from all countries. In addition to financial assistance for organizing successful championships, he highlighted the importance of cooperation in meeting deadlines and submitting entries on time. Based on lessons learned from the 8th World Vovinam Championships in Bali, he announced that late registrations (on the night before the event) will no longer be accepted in the future. A digital registration platform will be developed to provide an online overview of entries. He then invited Dr. Tran Dinh Du to present the current status of the Sports and Referee Commissions.

The Directors of the Sports and Referee Commissions thank Dr. Mai Huu Tin and the other members of the Executive Committee for their trust and plan to do their very best to show their gratitude by having a rulebook ready as soon as possible. This joint rulebook on how to organize, host championships, including all the rulings for the championships, is in the making and in the steps of finalization. They plan to do the finishing touches with other commission members, who are yet to be appointed yet and are confident to have a publishable version before the next championships.

Hosting the 9th WVVF Championships:

There are two offers to host the World Championship: India and Algeria. Mr. Florin Macovei remarks that the WVVF should consider the rotation of host countries in regard to their respective continental federations. In 2017, the World Championships was held in India, 2019 in Cambodia and in 2021 there was no championships due to the pandemic. 2023 was held in Vietnam, and 2025 will now take place in Bali. Therefore, both Dr. Tin and Florin propose to rotate the 2027 Championships either to Europe or Africa instead. Mr. Mohammed Djouadj adds that with the hosting in Algeria, many African countries would get the chance to attend the Championships. Mr. Moumouni Traore adds that having the championships in 2027 in Africa will also be very special, as it marks the 50-year anniversary of Vovinam in Africa.

Mr. Praveen Garg supports the proposal of Algeria. However, he points out that currently there are no official championships for Juniors. He therefore proposes to organize either an interclub championship or a championship only for juniors.

The Congress votes unanimously for Algeria to be the next host for the 9th WVVF World Vovinam Championships.

Vittorio informs the attendees of the Congress about an event in Europe taking place in January 2026. An interclub tournament will be organized in Lissone/Italy, which aims to attract clubs instead of countries. He aims to have participants from Vietnam, as well. Mr. Bach Ngoc Chien is confident that this will be made possible and informs the attendees about a decree from the Vietnamese prime minister, in which it is said that Vietnamese sports should be supported abroad. He offered to help the Italian Vovinam Federation in getting a visa for the invited Vietnamese athletes by talking to government officials in Vietnam. He then extends his offer to all the other congress attendees who plan to invite Vietnamese athletes.

Voting on granting full membership to qualified candidate countries:

Kazakhstan and Benin submitted the official documents to become full members of the WVVF. Both countries are unanimously accepted into the WVVF.

Closing speech:

Mr. Florin Macovei appreciates and highly values the efforts of Dr. Mai Huu Tin regarding many aspects. Florin corrects Dr. Mai Huu Tin in that regard that he indeed should not consider himself just the source of money of the federation. He is first and foremost a very great leader figure and a social icon. Just like our beloved sports, he is very martial in spirit. And although Dr. Mai Huu Tin has invested a lot of money into Vovinam, he has invested even more of his energy.

Some pictures at the congress: