The 13th World Wushu Championships in Jakarta Indonesia

[GeneChing]

Might as well get this started - Lucky #13.

If you've been following our reports on this one, you know there are several changes this time. Here's the official site (http://13thwwc2015.com/) (at least I think it is...it takes days to load so I bailed :rolleyes:)


Pakistan to participate in World Wushu Championship in Indonesia (http://www.thefrontierpost.com/article/345145/pakistan-to-participate-in-world-wushu-championship-in-indonesia/)
in Top Stories 2015-10-20 13:30:59 155 Views

http://www.thefrontierpost.com/media/art_go_345145_1506.jpg

Last Updated On 20 October,2015 About 2 hours ago The World Championship will be organized by Indonesia Wushu Association. ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - - Pakistan will participate in the 13th World Wushu Championship scheduled to be held in Indonesia next month, officials said on Monday. The Pakistan Wushu Federation (PWF) received invitation for participation from the event management and it has decided to send its squad for the event, a press release stated. The World Championship will be organized by Indonesia Wushu Association from Nov. 11 to 18 in Jakarta. The PWF has also selected its team that will compete in four weight categories of the event. Pakistan Wushu team includes Abdullah (60kg), Syed Maratib Ali Shah (65kg), Shafi-ur-Rehman (72kg) and Maaz Khan (75kg). Amir Shahzad Butt and Muhammad Imran will accompany the team as manager and coach, respectively. The federation is hopeful to win medals in the event, the statement said. Pakistan Wushu Federation is the national governing body to develop and promote the sport of Wushu in the Country. The Game of Wushu, the Chinese version of Martial Arts (Kung-Fu), is most rapidly progressing in Pakistan. In 1962, the PWF was affiliated with the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA). The Federation is also the member organization of the International Wushu Federation (IWUF).
ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - - Pakistan will participate in the 13th World Wushu Championship scheduled to be held in Indonesia next month, officials said on Monday. The Pakistan Wushu Federation (PWF) received invitation for participation from the event management and it has decided to send its squad for the event, a press release stated. The World Championship will be organized by Indonesia Wushu Association from Nov. 11 to 18 in Jakarta. The PWF has also selected its team that will compete in four weight categories of the event. Pakistan Wushu team includes Abdullah (60kg), Syed Maratib Ali Shah (65kg), Shafi-ur-Rehman (72kg) and Maaz Khan (75kg). Amir Shahzad Butt and Muhammad Imran will accompany the team as manager and coach, respectively. The federation is hopeful to win medals in the event, the statement said. Pakistan Wushu Federation is the national governing body to develop and promote the sport of Wushu in the Country. The Game of Wushu, the Chinese version of Martial Arts (Kung-Fu), is most rapidly progressing in Pakistan. In 1962, the PWF was affiliated with the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA). The Federation is also the member organization of the International Wushu Federation (IWUF).

For the record:
12 WWC (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?66860-12th-World-Wushu-Championships)
11 WWC (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=61484)
10 WWC (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=55298)
8 WWG (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39541)
6 WWG (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=302)

[GeneChing]

I'm eager to see how this year's WWC goes in the wake of the Olympic rejection (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?64475-2020-Olympics&p=1287580#post1287580), and more so, with the new events.


Men’s Wushu team to depart for Indonesia (http://en.mehrnews.com/news/111442/Men-s-Wushu-team-to-depart-for-Indonesia)

http://media.mehrnews.com/d/2015/10/28/3/1886442.jpg

Wed 28 October 2015 - 11:44

TEHRAN, Oct. 28 (MNA) – Iran’s national Wushu team consisting of 11 athletes will attend 13th World Wushu Championships, Jakarta, Indonesia.
The 13th World Wushu Championships will be taking place in Jakarta, Indonesia from November 11 to 18 with Iran’s national team deploying 5 Sanda and 6 Taolu athletes to the tournament.

Accordingly, in Taolu section, Mahdi Fathi, Mohsen Ahmadi and Navid Makvandi (in duilian), Farshad Arabi, Taher Ghasemi, and Reza Khalafzadeh will represent Iran in the world championships.

Iran’s Sanda athletes include Jafar Shirzad in -65kg, Mohsen Seifi in -70kg, Sajad Abbasi in -75kg, Amir Fazli in -85kg and Hamidreza Gholipoor in -90kg weight who will fight on the platform.

Iranian women's team has not dispatched any athletes to the tournament yet.



Published: Tuesday October 27, 2015 MYT 6:34:00 PM
Updated: Tuesday October 27, 2015 MYT 6:54:08 PM
World champ Cheau Xuen dropped from wushu squad (http://www.thestar.com.my/Sport/Other-Sport/2015/10/27/World-champ-Cheau-Xuen-dropped-from-wushu-squad/)
BY LIM TEIK HUAT

http://www.thestar.com.my/~/media/Images/TSOL/Photos-Upload/From%20DCX/2015/10/27/doc6ksz7wdb4dy1h7khb7p2.ashx?w=620&h=413&crop=1&
National wushu exponent Tai Cheau Xuen training during the Singapore SEA Games in June. - IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/ The STAR

KUALA LUMPUR: Top nanquan exponent Tai Cheau Xuen has been dropped from the World Wushu Championships at Istora Senayan in Jakarta from Nov 14-18.

The 24-year-old flopped in the selection test at the training centre in Bukit Jalil and will not be defending the world title in compulsory nanquan that she won in Kuala Lumpur two years ago.

The Negri Sembilan-born exponent delivered Malaysia’s first gold medal at the Asian Games in Incheon last year after winning the women’s nanquan and nandao combined event. Unfortunately, she was tested positive for sibutramine, an ingredient commonly found in slimming products.

She was later suspended for four months until the end of March. She made her comeback at the Singapore SEA Games in June but failed to defend her title.

“Cheau Xuen’s performance was not up to par at the selection and we decided to leave her out because current form matters,” said national coach Lim Yew Fai.

He also said that Yeap Wai Kin, who contributed two silver medals for Malaysia at the last world meet two years ago, has also been left out.

Yew Fai is counting on former world champion Diana Bong to carry the country’s hopes in the nanquan disciplines – nanquan, nangun and nandao.

The Sarawak-born Diana is the defending champion in nangun.

“Diana is very experienced and has won medals in previous world meets, so I have faith in her,” said Yew Fai, who was a former world champion for qiangshu.

Singapore SEA Games gold medallist Loh Jack Chang (taijiquan, taijijian); Ho Mun Hua (nanquan, nandao, nangun); and Wong Weng Son (changquan) are the male exponents selected.

Malaysia will have five women exponents in Jakarta – Diana; Chai Fong Wei (changquan, daoshu, gunshu); Phoon Eyin (jianshu, qiangshu); Chan Lu Yi (taijijian, taijiquan); and Ng Shin Yii (taijijian, taijiquan).

Shin Yii recently tied the knot with national bowler Adrian Ang.

Of the eight, Weng Son and Lu Yi will be making their debut at the world meet.

“It’s a smaller squad, but everyone is capable of delivering medals,” said Yew Fai.

In Kuala Lumpur two years ago, Malaysia achieved their best-ever haul of four golds, five silvers and five bronzes.

[GeneChing]

Looking forward to the Sanda, Xingyi, Bagua and Duilian.

See worldwushu.tv (http://worldwushu.tv/)

http://screen9-videosite-production.s3.amazonaws.com/screen9-videosite/iec3/logo-big?timestamp=1445263116

[GeneChing]

Action star Jet Li coming to Jakarta next week for the World Wushu Championships (http://jakarta.coconuts.co/2015/11/04/action-star-jet-li-coming-jakarta-next-week-world-wushu-championships)
By Coconuts Jakarta November 4, 2015 / 10:20 WIB

http://cdn1.coconutsmedia.com/styles/article_header/s3/field/image/jet_li.jpg
Jet Li in the movie "Fearless"

Some of the most impressive martial artists in the world will be coming to Jakarta next week to compete in the 13th World Wushu Championships, which is taking place from Nov 13-19 at the Jakarta Convention Center .

But the most famous martial artist at the event won’t be there to compete. World-renowned movie star and action hero Jet Li (“Hero,” “The Expendables” and, of course, "Fist of Legend") will be coming to Jakarta to attend the championship’s opening ceremony.

Li's attendance was confirmed by the Chief Executive of the World Wushu Championship, IGK Manila, during a meeting with Indonesian officials on Tuesday.

Li is closely associated with the world of wushu competitions, having first rose to fame after winning multiple gold medals in China’s Wushu Championships.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qSsMmRD3jM

In addition to Li and several other martial arts actors from Malaysia, Manila said that the event would be attended by wushu warriors from over 75 countries who have registered for the championship competition in Jakarta.

"This championship will show the good name of Indonesia to the eyes of the world, especially to the International Wushu Federation (IWUF), based in China, which does not easily trust other countries to host the world championship," Manila said as quoted by BeritaSatu.

How awesome would it be if, while in Indonesia, Jet Li was able to meet our very own homegrown action superstar, Iko Uwais, and then they teamed up to create the greatest martial arts movie of all time?
Jet + Iko = that would be cool for sure.

[GeneChing]

World's best Wushu athletes to vie in Jakarta (http://www.ecns.cn/2015/11-06/187484.shtml)
2015-11-06 09:58 Xinhua Editor: Gu Liping

A total of 904 Wushu athletes from 73 countries and regions will compete in the 13th World Wushu championship in Jakarta from Nov. 13 to 18, official said in Jakarta Thursday.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo is scheduled to kick off the tournament at Istora Senayan in Jakarta, said IGK Manila, chairman of the tournament's organizing committee.

Worlds top movie star and ambassador of Wushu, Jet Li, and movie star and former Wushu athlete Michele Yeoh will present at the event.

"Jet Li will come to Indonesia on Nov. 12," Manila said at sport ministry.

"Preparation has been made. The athletes will start arriving on Nov. 7," he added.

Indonesia will also host the International Wushu Federation Congress before the championship.

"Our target is to improve ranking and achievement," the chairman said about Indonesia's goal at the tournament.

Michelle and Jet, reunited. :cool:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcgNUHqe34w

[GeneChing]

Wushu has really become an Asian thing. The West don't care.


Iran’s Arabi Earns Silver at World Wushu Championship (http://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2015/11/16/918423/iran-s-arabi-earns-silver-at-world-wushu-championship)
November, 16, 2015 - 17:08
فرشاد عربی

http://newsmedia.tasnimnews.com/Tasnim/Uploaded/Image/1392050717105165902514.jpg
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Farshad Arabi brought much cheer to Iranian camp by winning the country’s first medal at the 13th World Wushu Championship on Monday.

The Iranian wushu exponent claimed a silver medal at Nandao event at the Istora Senayan in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Arabi finished in the second place with 9.65 points.

“After a disappointing performance in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, I wanted to prove myself. I had several surgeries but I could earn a silver medal,” Arabi said.

Malaysian Mun Hua Ho claimed a gold medal with 9.67 points.

Bronze medal went to Chinese Taipei’s Po Wei Lai who scored 9.63.

The 13th World Wushu Championship is under progress in Jakarta.

Over 900 athletes from 73 countries are participating in this mega event.


Three Indian wushu players assured of at least bronze medal in World Championship (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/others/Three-Indian-wushu-players-assured-of-at-least-bronze-medal-in-World-Championship/articleshow/49803797.cms)
PTI | Nov 16, 2015, 05.55 PM IST
JAKARTA: Y Sanathoi Devi and two others have assured India of at least bronze medals after entering the semifinals of their respective weight categories in the 13th World Wushu Championship.

Asian Games bronze-medallist and Arjuna Awrdee, Sanathoi defeated Turkey's Ozlem Cicek in quarterfinals of the Women's 52kg category to advance to the last four stage.

The Manipuri will next take on South Korea's Hyebin Kim.

Other Indians in the fray -- Surya Bhanu Pratap and Uchit Sharma -- have also been assured of at least a third-place finish in the prestigious competition.

Pratap defeated Iat San Mto of Macau in 60kg quarterfinals, while Sharma toppled Van Huang Dinh of Vietnam in 52kg quarterfinals.

However, L Budhchandra Singh lost to Indonesia's Yusuf Widitanto in 56kg division, while Puja Tomer was defeated by Vietnam's Luan Thi Hoang in 48kg category.



Published: Sunday November 15, 2015 MYT 5:22:00 PM
Updated: Sunday November 15, 2015 MYT 5:26:09 PM
It's raining bronze for Malaysia in world wushu meet (http://www.thestar.com.my/Sport/Other-Sport/2015/11/15/Wushu-win-bronze-in-Indonesia/)
by lim teik huat

http://www.thestar.com.my/~/media/Images/TSOL/Photos-Upload/From%20DCX/2015/11/15/doc6n4rz6vbj9zv4k1jduf.ashx?w=620&h=413&crop=1&
Shin Yii claimed the first medal for Malaysia at the Istora Senayan in Indonesia.

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia made an impressive start with three bronze medals on the opening day of the 13th World Wushu Championships in Jakarta.

Ng Shin Yii, who tied the knot with top Malaysian bowler Adrian Ang last month, had the honour of claiming the first medal for Malaysia at the Istora Senayan when she posted 9.66 points in the women’s taijiquan on Sunday.

Asian Games gold medallist exponent Lindswell Kwok picked up Indonesia’s first gold with an impressive 9.70 total while Hong Kong’s Chen Suijin took the silver with 9.68 points.

Negri Sembilan-born Wong Weng Son capped his debut by grabbing Malaysia’s second bronze in the men’s jianshu with 9.61 points.

Charles Sutanto gave Indonesia a golden double by collecting 9.64 points to emerge champion in the 38-man field. Russian Andrei Solovev finished second on 9.62.

Two-time world champion Ho Mun Hua delivered the third bronze for Malaysia in the men’s nanquan with a 9.67 total. China’s Wang Di bagged the gold with 9.73 ahead of Macanese Huang Jun Hua’s 9.68.

Although the 26-year-old Mun Hua failed to retain the title he won in Kuala Lumpur in 2013, he was happy with his efforts.

“I proved I’m still the best in the country for nanquan. I won the bronze in the presence of a Chinese competitor this time, so I am happy to be on the podium,” said Mun Hua, who won his first world title in Toronto, Canada, in 2009.

A total of 78 countries are competing in Jakarta. The International Wushu Federation (IWUF) are out to make a good impression as observers from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are present at the five-day championships. Wushu is eyeing for an inclusion in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

[GeneChing]

NATIONAL TEAM (http://www.13thwwc2015.com/tables/)
China 7 0 0
Indonesia 6 1 5
Hong Kong 5 4 2
Malaysia 3 4 4
Russia 3 2 2
Korea 2 2 4
Macao 2 2 1
Singapore 1 1 2
Egypt 1 0 3
Brazil 1 0 2
Australia 1 0 0
Japan 0 4 2
Iran 0 3 0
United State Of America 0 2 5
Vietnam 0 2 3
Turkey 0 1 1
China Taipei 0 1 1
France 0 1 1
Philippines 0 1 0
Myanmar 0 1 0
Ukraine 0 0 3
Canada 0 0 2
Rumania 0 0 1
Italy 0 0 1

We're #14! yay!

[GeneChing]

Nothing on the U.S. yet. I searched 'wushu united states' and this is the only article that came up. :rolleyes:


Iranian wushu fighters stand out in world tournament (http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/11/18/438216/Iran-wushu-Mohammadseifi-world-championships-Jakarta-Indonesia)
Wed Nov 18, 2015 3:32PM

http://217.218.67.233/photo/20151118/9e474d61-20df-44c0-b6fe-c26c10c883b9.jpg
Iran male wushu practitioner Mohsen Mohammadseifi
Iranian male wushu fighters have displayed impressive performances at the 13th edition of World Wushu Championships in Indonesia, and were awarded three gold medals at the high-status tournament.

On Wednesday, Iran’s Mohsen Mohammadseifi landed in the first position of the chart and collected the gold medal after downing Ali Ay from Turkey in the final competition of men’s 70-kilogram Sanda contests at the indoor Istora Senayan sporting arena in the Indonesian capital city of Jakarta.

In the men’s 85-kilogram Sanda class, Amir Fazli outperformed his Ukrainian rival Dymtro Batok and clinched the second for Iran.

http://217.218.67.233//photo/20151118/53911a8f-ad05-4b2c-bbbe-194b0f6a9448.jpg
Iranian wushu fighter Amir Fazli
Iranian sportsman Hamidreza Gholipour also claimed the first position in the men’s 90-kilogram category, winning another the Islamic Republic.

Later in the day, Iran’s national Sanda wushu team finished as vice champion at the end of world championships, having collected six medals, including six gold ones and one bronze.

The Chinese squad received the top honor with seven gold and one silver medals, while the Philippines stood on the bronze podium, having collected two gold and one bronze medals.

Sanda (sometimes called Sanshou or Lei tai) has all the combat aspects of wushu, but includes many more grappling techniques.

http://217.218.67.233//photo/20151118/7652ef52-b591-412c-8d0b-e30ad26cd5ca.jpg
The 13th edition of World Wushu Championships started in Jakarta, on November 11, and finished on November 18.

The international tournament brought together some 1,000 male and female wushu practitioners from 82 countries, including Australia, Brazil, China, Chinese Taipei, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Turkey, the United States and Vietnam.

China topped the medal count table with a total of 15 (14 golds and one silver), and Indonesia stood second with 16 (seven golds, three silvers and six bronzes). The Islamic Republic of Iran finished in the third spot, having earned 6 gold, 3 silver and one bronze medals.

[GeneChing]

The WWC ended on the 18th, but I'm not sure if this has been updated. Still waiting to learn which Americans won those 2 silvers and 5 bronzes and in what divisions.


NATIONAL TEAM (http://www.13thwwc2015.com/tables/)
China 14 1 0
Indonesia 7 3 6
Iran 6 3 1
Hong Kong 5 4 2
Russia 4 4 3
Malaysia 3 4 4
Korea 2 3 4
Philippines 2 2 1
Macao 2 2 1
Egypt 2 0 6
Singapore 1 1 2
Brazil 1 0 3
Australia 1 0 1
Vietnam 0 4 3
Japan 0 4 2
India 0 3 1
United State Of America 0 2 5
Turkey 0 2 2
Ukraine 0 1 3
Swedia 0 1 2
China Taipei 0 1 1
Kyrgyzstan 0 1 1
France 0 1 1
Myanmar 0 1 0
Belarus 0 1 0
Czech Republic 0 1 0
Canada 0 0 2
Rumania 0 0 2
Armenia 0 0 2
Jordania 0 0 1
Libanon 0 0 1
Great Britain 0 0 1
Kazakhstan 0 0 1
Italy 0 0 1

#17. yay. go usa.

[GeneChing]

I got these from a very reliable source but haven't double-checked them.

The 2 Silver & 5 Bronze were all in Taolu

Justin BENEDIK
Men's Compulsory Changquan: Bronze
Amy LI
Women's Compulsory Changquan: Bronze
Women's Daoshu: Silver
Women's Duel: Bronze*
Emily Xinyu FAN
Women's Duel: Bronze*
Lucy Ruxi LEE
Women's Compulsory Nanquan: Silver
Women's Nandao: Bronze

*Duel counts as two medals even though it's one two-person division, does it?

The 2015 U.S. Team was:
Taolu:
Dominic Hoyan CHOW
Gordon TSAI M
Justin BENEDIK M
Wesley Hawkeen HUIE M
Amy LI F
Emily Xinyu FAN F
Lucy Ruxi LEE F
Stephanie LIM F
Sanda:
Edgar RUIZ Men's 60KG
Gary CHANDLER Men's 75KG
Jorge CORTEZ Men's 65KG
Michael LEE Men's 70KG
Ragan BEEDY Women's 56KG
Yang PAN Men's 90KG

[lkfmdc]

Gene,

Why are these things always in Asia? Why don't they bring the world championships to North America? Why not the US! You know, in a big city, like Baltimore?

[GeneChing]

I have a correction to my earlier post. There was one bronze in Sanda. Ragan Beedy - Women's 56kg.

Apparently duel only counts as one medal.


Wushu martial artists seek Olympic glory (http://m.chinapost.com.tw/sports/2015/11/22/451538/Wushu-martial.htm)

http://124.9.0.196/news_images/20151122/p07a.jpg

By Nick Perry, AFP
November 22, 2015, 12:18 am TWN
JAKARTA -- Twirling spears, swords and clubs at frightening speeds, the brightly clad fighters performing backflips and flying kicks could be mistaken for extras in a kung fu movie being shot in the Indonesian capital Jakarta.
They are not actors, however, but athletes hoping not just to win gold at the World Wushu Championships but to elevate the Chinese martial art — made famous by Jet Li and Jackie Chan — from an ancient warrior code to a modern-day Olympic sport.
Wushu — a broad term for the martial arts disciplines from China — is still often called kung fu and pits fighters against one another in hand-to-hand combat or intricate acrobatics focusing on flair and weapon work.
Competitors dressed in elaborate costumes scream as they soar through the air brandishing staffs and blades, landing on one foot and holding a complex pose before launching into a dizzying spin. Others, armed with a sword in each hand, fend off attackers bearing spears in a choreographed routine marked on technique and accuracy.
The moves are similar to the impressive fighting techniques popularized in kung fu films of the 1980s and '90s, a genre that inspired a generation of today's wushu champions to master the demanding routines.
“I was interested in how they move, how they fly, how they use different weapons,” Russian wushu athlete Daria Tarassova said of the kung fu superstars she watched in films as a teenager.
“I wanted to do those beautiful movements,” she told AFP in Jakarta between her events.
The sport has come a long way since a rising martial artist named Jet Li — years before he found fame in Hollywood — demonstrated wushu on the White House lawn for former U.S. President Richard Nixon.
Wushu has transformed from a centuries-old, exclusively Chinese combat discipline into a professional sport with a world federation and global participation.
Li remains a major drawcard as wushu's official global ambassador — he was mobbed during a brief appearance in Jakarta.
But recent blockbuster movies like “Kung Fu Panda” and “The Last Airbender” have driven remarkable growth outside Asia, particularly in Europe and the Americas where younger fighters are signing up to learn the ancient ways.
“I'm starting to see younger athletes coming in who have seen it in the movies,” Mario Martinez, U.S. national team coach and long-time wushu fighter, told AFP, adding the sport had grown “immensely” in the U.S. recently.
“I think wushu is starting to have a worldwide presence.”
This year's world championships, which ran from Nov. 13 to 18, featured a record number of around 600 athletes, with thousands tuning in worldwide to watch the drama live online, a first for wushu as it tries to take the sport global and attract new fans.
Many of those rising to the medal dais — including Tarassova and compatriot Vladimir Maximov, who won two golds — hail from emerging wushu nations, including some from outside Asia, which has traditionally dominated the sport.
Wushu features several disciplines. Fighters in “sanda” — a type of kick boxing that allows wrestling and throwing — spar on a raised mat. By contrast, “taolu” more closely resembles gymnastics with weapons, where traditional routines based on attack and defense techniques are performed individually and in teams.
Now wushu is hoping to go a step further by following other martial arts, like Japan's judo and Korea's taekwondo, by becoming an Olympic sport.
The International Wushu Federation's efforts suffered a setback when wushu was dropped from a shortlist of sports being considered for the Tokyo 2020 Games, but the organization has not been put off and is confident of inclusion in 2024.
“We were disappointed but we were not too surprised,” Federation Executive Vice president Anthony Goh told AFP.
Extra money is a particular attraction of gaining Olympic status, with federations outside major wushu hubs in Asia — and emerging powerhouses like Russia and Iran — struggling due to limited sponsorship.
Martinez said many of the U.S. athletes on his squad worked full time to fund their travel for wushu tournaments abroad and still managed to train four hours per day.
“It's a huge, huge sacrifice for them,” he said.
But he was confident wushu was destined to be an Olympic sport: “It has fighting, it has weapons, it has all the fast-moving action of martial arts condensed into one.”

I wouldn't call The Last Airbender (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/index.php?p=article&article=906) a blockbuster...:o