Akanksha Sahai is an Indian martial artist who specialises in Vovinam, a Vietnamese martial art that has gained a competitive following in India through the Vovinam Federation of India and allied state bodies. She is recognised within Indian martial arts circles for her participation in the discipline.
Key Facts
| Name | Akanksha Sahai |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Indian |
| Sport | Martial arts |
| Discipline | Vovinam |
| Wikidata ID | Q4700263 |
Background
Vovinam, also known as Vovinam Viet Vo Dao, was founded in Vietnam in 1938 by Nguyen Loc. The art combines striking, grappling, throws, and weapons techniques, and is structured around graded belt levels. In India the discipline is administered by the Vovinam Federation of India, which sends teams to South Asian and international competitions sanctioned by the World Vovinam Federation. Sahai's career falls within this competitive ecosystem, where Indian athletes contest both forms (quyen) and sparring categories.
Significance
As a practitioner of Vovinam, Sahai is part of a relatively small but expanding community of Indian women in non-Olympic combat sports. Vovinam has been featured at multi-sport events such as the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, providing a competitive pathway for athletes in the discipline.