The Vietnam's National Pencak Silat Championship opened in Vietnam's central province of Thanh Hoa on Wednesday, the Vietnam News Agency reported. The tournament drew participation of nearly 300 athletes from 25 teams in the country. The athletes will compete for 26 weight categories in both performance and competition events, said the report. The tournament is an important sports event of Vietnam, targeting to choose excellent athletes for the National Pencak Silat Teams to take part in the International Pencak Silat Championship 2010 later this year in Indonesia. The tournament is scheduled to end on Nov. 10. 