Imphal, July 12: Fifteen players, including six women, from Manipur have been selected to represent India in the fifth World Vovinam Championship 2017 to be held at Talkatora Indoor Stadium, New Delhi, from August 1-5.

Vovinam is Vietnamese martial art.

The Manipur players included in the Indian squad are Ch. Mahadeva, L. Alex, K. Raju, L.Ajit, M. Tomba, Y. Amar, L. Sadajit, Kh. Devan, W. Arun Singh, H. Henna Devi, H. Omita Devi, L. Puspa Devi, S. Jelly Devi, S. Lanchenbi Devi and S. Neha Chanu.

They have been selected on the basis of their performance in the eighth National Vovinam Championship held in Aurangabad in May.

Seven vovinam players from Manipur, including Mahadeva, Alex, Raju, Tomba, Henna Devi, Omita Devi and Pushpa Devi have undergone a 16-day intensive training along with four others from Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, in Vietnam in mid-June. An official of the Vovinam Association of Manipursaid a 13-day residential coaching camp for the selected players would be held at Khuman Lampak Sports Complex in Manipur from July 18-30.

The Indian camp will have 27 players, including 12 from other states. The president of the Vovinam Association of India, Vishnu Sahai, will attend the camp on July 18.

The world championship will have vovinam players from 25 countries. The event is likely to be opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.