Karate

HÀ NỘI — Hoàng Thị Mỹ Tâm brought home a bronze medal from the Karate 1 Series A in Kuala Lumpur, which concluded in Malaysia on Sunday.

Tâm secured third place in the women’s kumite (combat), affirming her position as one of the leading Vietnamese karate artists on the world stage.

The Karate 1 (K1) Series A in Kuala Lumpur featured more than 600 martial artists from 82 teams worldwide. According to the international system, K1 is the highest-level tournament organised by the World Karate Federation, aiming to create opportunities for martial artists globally to compete. The tournament is akin to a Grand Slam in other sports.

Việt Nam sent seven fighters to the event, competing in kumite and kata (performance) across various weight classes.

At the age of 22, Tâm has achieved numerous milestones in her career. She successfully defended her gold medal in the 55kg category at the Asian Championships in May.

Born in the countryside of Thạch Lạc Commune, Hà Tĩnh Province, Tâm is the third child in a family of four siblings. Her parents are farmers, and due to their modest means, her childhood was spent accompanying her mother to the fields to harvest rice. From a young age, Tâm was active, enjoyed running and jumping and participated in many sports activities at school.

By the end of 2015, when she was only 12 years old, Tâm was called up to the national youth karate team in HCM City.

Tâm has progressed rapidly. In 2019, she won a gold medal at the Asian Youth Championship. To date, Tâm has brought home numerous domestic and international titles, including two U21 Asian gold medals. Currently, she is focused on training with the national team to prepare for the 33rd SEA Games taking place at the end of the year in Thailand. Her goal is to defend the championship title and contribute to the overall achievements of the Vietnamese sports delegation. — VNS