Khanh Hoa, Aug. 19 -- The 17th Southeast Asian Taekwondo Championships and Junior Championships, together with the 21st International Taekwondo Clubs Championships, opened on August 19 at the Sports Arena of south central Khanh Hoa province, bringing together 372 athletes, coaches and officials from regional countries.

The host nation Vietnam leads the field with 115 participants, underlining its strength as one of Asia's Taekwondo powerhouses. The Vietnamese team heads into the competition in strong form, having claimed three gold medals at the 2024 World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships. Traditional rivals such as the Philippines also arrived with formidable squads, setting the stage for intense contests.

At the opening ceremony, Nguye...