Wushu at the Universiade

[GeneChing]

2017 Summer Universiade - August 19-30, Taipei, Taiwan

Wushu will be introduced this year as a medal sport. This is the largest international multi-sport competition after the Olympics and a major step for Wushu.

Here is the official site.

And here's this:

[GeneChing]

If you follow our magazine (and you really should if you're a member here), you know that Tiger Claw and the Tiger Claw Foundation is supporting the 2017 Universiade US Wushu Team. Tiger Claw President Jonny Oh just left for Taipei this morning.

You'll find the official 2017 Universiade US Wushu Team website here (Website provided by www.tigerclaw.com)

Here is the Wushu Competition Schedule.

The US Team is:
TAOLU: EMILY FAN, JESSICA YIN, BENSON LIN, WESLEY HUIE
SANDA: MADISON BAKER, PARIS MORAN, ISAIAH ENRIQUEZ, BRUCE WANG

[GeneChing]

The FISU livestream is available here.

There's fencing, taekwondo, judo, and archery events up now, but no wushu yet.

[GeneChing]

There's a 15 pic album if you follow the link.

Interview with WuShu team USA – determination and passion | 中文
Taipei Summer Universiade WuShu events are going to start on the 26th. However, regarding the upcoming competition, US WuShu team does not seem nervous; instead, all of the members are willingly to chat and share their own experiences and feelings with our journalists.

With an average age of twenty years old, these athletes, different from other students, sacrifice their own leisure time to face all the tiring and challenging trainings while all other students are studying, interning, or enjoying their time with friends. However, even though they utilize most of their time practicing, these athletes did not quit studying. In fact, because of the frequent trainings, they learned to manage their time, making competitive in both WuShu events and schools. Jessica Yin is accepted to MIT; Madison Baker is studying in Dentistry; Paris Moran is major in Marketing while also working in a part-time job. According to the athletes, practicing in WuShu helped them learn to participate in all their activities, including athletic and academic.

Besides their well trained techniques and affable personality, another thing to highlight is their passion towards WuShu. According to Jessica Yin, she has started to learn WuShu since six, meaning that she has been participating in WuShu for about twelve years. When our journalist asked if she ever wanted to quit WuShu, Jessica admit that there do have sometimes when she felt so exhausted that she wanted to stop” however,” she said with a smile on her face, ” I do not like the feelings of giving up, so I told myself not to quit.” This determination in her makes her outstanding and leaves our journalist a great impression. Indubitably, all other team members are also determined and hardworking; thus, the U.S team surely a strong companion towards other teams in the WuShu events.

In addition to their sharing of their impressive abilities and strong determination, the U.S WuShu team want to thank all the volunteers in the Universiade. Also, according to them, “Taiwanese people are really nice and everywhere seems so energetic. We really like this place.”

United States Wushu national team is able to participate in 2017 Taipei Summer Universiade due to Tiger Claw’s sponsorship. In United States, Tiger Claw is specialized in martial art safety equipment and supplies. Furthermore, they introduced the Kung Fu Magazine to United States, bring knowledge and insight to martial arts fans everywhere. Every other weeks, the Kung Fu Magazine will update recent news and articles on their website. You may be able to check out their website below.
http://www.kungfumagazine.com/

世大運武術比賽即將在26號展開，面對近在眼前的賽事，美國武術隊的選手並沒有表現出緊張的樣子，反而輕鬆 地和記者們聊天。

這群平均年齡大約20歲的同學，因為擁有運動員身分，有時會讓人遺忘他們的年紀。當大部分的大學生在上課、 打工、和朋友出去玩的同時，選手們必須在日復一日的練習中度過，被迫提早成熟。值得注意的是，他們並沒有因 為練習武術而荒廢學業，而是學著管理好自己的時間，Jessica Yin是MIT的學生，Madison Baker則在牙醫系就讀，Paris Moran主修行銷，每天除了練散打和上學之外還打工賺錢。他們表示學習武術可以讓人專心，提高效率。

除了他們純熟的武術技巧及親切和善的人格特質，另一個值得關注地方的是他們對武術的熱情。Je ssica Yin告訴我們她從六歲開始習武到現在已經十二年了，而當我我們問到她是否曾經想過要放棄，她承認有時的確 會感到精疲力盡，想要停止，但她又很開朗的笑說：「我不喜歡放棄的感覺，所以我告訴自己不能放棄。」這樣的 決心與堅持使她不論在學業或是武術上都有卓越的表現，也讓我們留下深刻的印象。其他的成員們也都下了十足的 功夫，因此，毋庸置疑，美國武術隊對於其他隊伍來說是個勁敵。

採訪過程中除了分享他們令人印象深刻的才能與強大的決心，他們也向世大運的志工表達感謝之意，「台灣人都很 友善，台北的街頭氣氛讓人感到十足的活力，我們真的很喜歡這個地方。」

這次美國武術隊能來參賽是由美國的虎爪集團贊助，虎爪集團是美國武術護具領域的領導者，美國功夫雜誌是由他 們所創辦，功夫雜誌也是美國武術領域具領導地位的線上雜誌及論壇，每兩週都會有新的文章跟新聞，有興趣的讀 者可以至以下地址查看http://www.kungfumagazine.com/

[GeneChing]

Interview with USA Wushu Team at Taipei Universiade
Taiwan News interviews the Team USA Wushu athletes competing in the Taipei Universiade
By Keoni Everington,Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2017/08/29 00:09


USA Wushu forms athletes, coaches, and head coach Sifu Bryant Fong (4th from right).

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- The modern sport of wushu (武術) is making its debut at the 2017 Taipei Universiade and Taiwan News interviewed the USA Wushu Team athletes as they prepared to battle for gold and glory for team and country.

As part of the USA Wushu Team headed by Sifu Bryant Fong, the Wushu Taolu (forms, 套路) squad is comprised of four athletes, two men and two women, and in addition to Fong, is also coached by Yunjian Zou and Eugene Moy. The athletes representing the USA, having been selected from the best competitors at national trials held at the 25th Annual Chinese Martial Arts Tournament (CMAT) at UC Berkeley in March, are: Emily Fan, Wesley Hawkeen Huie, Benson Lin, and Jessica Yin. This is the first time the United States has fielded a wushu team at a summer Universiade, the largest multi-sport in the world besides the Olympic games.

The term wushu literally means martial arts (武術) and can be used in Mandarin to apply to what in the West is known as kung fu (gongfu, 功夫), but in international sports competitions, it is a contemporary Chinese martial art that combines elements of performance and martial arts techniques. It evolved from traditional Chinese Martial Arts in the mid 20th Century in China as a national unified system of movements, forms, styles, weapons, and Sanda (free style fighting) for international sport, and in the 21st Century has continued to increase in athleticism with the inclusion of nandu (难度; difficulty movements).

The inclusion of wushu as an official sport at the 2017 Taipei Universiade is major step forward for the sport worldwide, and the fielding of a team of American athletes in the sport at these summer games is a big boost for its status in the United States. Head Coach Fong and the other Team USA coaches expressed their optimism that this event is good stepping stone to the integration of wushu into future international sports competitions.

Emily Xingyu Fan


Age: 19
College: University of California, Berkeley
Major: Economics, minor in Computer Science
Hometown: Chantilly, Virginia
Years of wushu experience: 12
Martial arts school: O-mei Wushu Kung Fu Center, Fairfax, Virginia

How did you get into wushu?
"My parents signed me up for a class at Chinese school. One of the teachers saw I had potential and recommended that I train at another school. The wushu community is small, but close knit and that has been the biggest thing that has kept me around."

How are you preparing for the competition?
"This competition has been difficult to prepare for because now that I'm in University, balancing school and training has been really difficult. But in preparation, I've been trying to use all the resources that I have. At my school there isn't a carpet to practice on, but going to the gym, running, going on the bike, and walking through my forms outside in any space that I can find, is pretty much how I've been preparing for this competition."

What does it take to be a champion?
"Hard work is the main thing to become a champion. Hardwork, and passion for what you're doing, because you can put in all the work you want. but if it's not something that you truly truly want or am passionate about, it's not something you're not going to be able to obtain."

Fan's spear performance on August 28:



What's your favorite move and why?
"My favorite move is call the tornado kick splits. It's move I've always had in my forms since I was a kid and it's something that's fun for me. You jump up in the air, kick inside and then land in the splits."

What do you think about Taiwan?
"I love it. It's my first time here, actually. I haven't been able to explore a lot. I really want to go to the night markets to get food. So far I really like it, even though it's so humid."

What's your favorite food in Taiwan?
"I had soup dumplings today, they're really good. Taiwanese food has been really good so far."

Wesley Hawkeen Huie



​Age: 20
College:Virginia Commonwealth University
Major: Biology, minor in Chemestry
Hometown: Alexandria, Virgina
Years of wushu experience: 12
Martial arts school: O-mei Wushu Kung Fu Center, Fairfax, Virginia



How did you get into wushu?
"When I was a little kid I loved to watch Jet Li movies and I used to jump around on the bed all the time. I'd pretend I'd be fighting 50 guys. When I got older, my parents took me to O-mei Wushu Kung Fu Center, and ever since I've been in love with it.

How are you preparing for the competition?
"For this tournament, I prepared a little differently than others I've prepared for. For this tournament, I was at school while preparing and I was also doing RA training, so I had to get up early in the morning to get my hours in. I didn't have a carpet to practice on, so I had to train on turf field. It was a lot of watching my own videos and seeing what I could fix by myself."

What does it take to be a champion?
"Believing in those around you, listening to what they say, Take what they say to heart and trust in what they are teaching you."

What's your favorite move and why?
"Jump outside kick. I feel like whenever I do that move and land it solid, it makes me feel really good inside."

What do you think about Taiwan?
"I haven't had a chance to explore it too much yet. It's pretty nice. It's a great city, it's really beautiful."

What's your favorite food in Taiwan?
"Dumplings."

Anything you want to add?
"I'd like to give out a big shout out to my mom and my dad for supporting me for 12 years and my master, Lu Xiaolin and my coach Yunjian Zou."

continued next post

[GeneChing]

Benson Lin​



Age: 19
College: University of the Pacific, Stockton, California
Major: Health Exercise Sport Science
Hometown: Cupertino, California
Years of wushu experience: 13
Martial arts school:

How did you get into wushu?
"Wushu since I was 6, but tai chi specifically, I've been training for almost six years. I practice mainly Chen Style and Yang Style tai chi. I mainly compete in the nandu forms, the modern tai chi forms. From watching YouTube videos of a Taiwanese master, I was surprised to see that tai chi is not just for health but also beauty."

What does it take to be a champion?
"First off, you have to believe you can be one. If you don't, there's no way for you to become one."

Benson's tai chi sword performance on August 27:



What's your favorite move and why?
"I don't think I have a favorite move, but what I do like about the nandu tai chi I perform is that it includes not only slow but fast movements. The fast movements, regardless of whether it's a punch, a kick, or jump, attract more people to the form that the athlete is performing."

What do you think about Taiwan?
"Besides being hot and humid, overall it's really good. All the people are really nice. The workers and volunteers are all working really hard to make sure this place is safe and to make sure the athletes are really enjoying this place."

What's your favorite food in Taiwan?
"I have few. I went out one day outside the village, and I really like Xiaolongbao, I believe in English it means some sort of soup dumpling. Inside it's very juicy, it's made out of pork, it's only a bite size, and when you eat it, it's really sweet."

Jessica Yin



Age: 18
College: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: Silver Spring, Maryland
Years of wushu experience: 12
Martial arts school: United States Wushu Academy, Gaithersburg, Maryland

How did you get into wushu?
"In the beginning my parents signed me up at Chinese school. I practiced at the Chinese school for two years and then I decided to move to the main academy to train because the coach kind of like me. I kept going on with wushu and I started to like it, and that's when I started to seriously practice it. It keeps me in touch with the culture because I'm born in America but my parents are from China.Practicing wushu allows me to participate in a lot of different cultural activities like Chinese New Year performances and I like that art that is in it too. And it's not a contact sport, which is what I don't really like."

How are you preparing for the competition?
"I first get there and stretch and wrap all of my weaker parts because you get injured a lot. We do some warming up, running, and then kicks, and then forms, which in my opinion is the hardest part."

What does it take to be a champion?
"To be a champion you have to persist in what you're doing. Doing your best. Always trying to break your limits. Persevering, even though it might be really tough, but that's the only way you will improve yourself."



What's your favorite move and why?
"I like the back sweep because it feels really good when you make a full circle and you don't mess up."

What do you think about Taiwan?
"I really like it. It's really cool. We went to the night market and the shopping mall. I really love the food and the people. It's really hot here."

What's your favorite food in Taiwan?
"The food here is really light, which I really like. It's not super heavy and it's to my taste. The other day, I went to a restaurant with my family and I had some chicken soup that was really good."

Unfortunately "The uploader has not made these videos available in your country" so if you're outside of the U.S., you can try by following the link, but I didn't bother to copy them here.

[GeneChing]

Sailing, shooting and rugby sevens included as optional sports at Naples 2019
By Michael Pavitt at the International Broadcast Centre in Taipei Tuesday, 29 August 2017


Naples 2019 confirmed shooting, sailing and rugby sevens would feature on the sport programme ©ITG

Sailing, shooting and rugby sevens competition will feature at the Naples 2019 Summer Universiade, organisers confirmed here today.

Officials from Naples 2019 met with the International University Sports Federation (FISU) prior to the ongoing Universide in Taipei, but fleshed out their proposals to the media before their involvement in tomorrow’s Closing Ceremony.

Under their plans, sailing, shooting and rugby sevens were selected as three optional sports for the Universaide, which will feature alongside FISU’s core sports.

Archery, athletics, basketball, fencing, football, judo, swimming and diving are among the compulsory sports, along with artistic and rhythmic gymnastics.

Table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball and water polo are also included.

A total of 22 sports are being contested at Taipei 2017, with baseball, roller sports, weightlifting and wushu featuring on the programme, while billiards is included as an invitational sport.

None of the events will be included at Naples 2019.

Italian officials have been present throughout the Universiade, with four members having stayed on to observe Taipei 2017.

The delegation included the President of the Italian University Sports Centre, Lorenzo Lentini, and Naples 2019's director general, Gianluca Basile.

The officials confirmed the Athletes Village will see competitors housed on tall ships or cruise ships, which will be located in the harbour of the Italian city.


Naples 2019 praised Taipei's staging of the Universiade and promised a successful 30th edition ©ITG

Organisers reflected they had a shortened period to stage the Universiade successfully, having been awarded the event last May.

They were only candidate in a reopened bidding process after Brasilia withdrew in January 2015, with the Brazilian capital was unable to meet financial commitments.

The Italian organisers believe they will still deliver an outstanding Universiade, with the event set to have its 30th edition.

“We have a delay of two years, so we cannot begin with four years before," says Basile.

“We are trying to give our best to achieve the best Universiade, like yours.

“Naples and the region represent a country of great historical and cultural traditions.

“We will try to do an event combining sport and culture, as you know our University is one of the most famous in the world.

“It will be an event of culture, peace and fraternity.”

Naples 2019, who plans to use 37 venues for competition and 24 for training, highlighted the attraction of Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast as further reasons to attend the event.

They will offer a flavour of what to expect at the Univerisade tomorrow, when they take part in the handover at the Closing Ceremony.

Their part of the ceremony will place spotlight Italian music, with singer Francesco Galluzzo set to perform.

A ballet performance by theatre will also feature.

The SEA Games are simultaneous and the The Macau International Wushu Festival and Martial Arts Competition just happened.

[GeneChing]

Congratulations to Emily Fan and Isiah Enriquez

NUSF Medallist by Sport - United States of America
ENRIQUEZ Isiah Ray Mon, 28 Aug Men's Sanda - 52kg Bronze
FAN Emily Xinyu Tue, 29 Aug Women's Taolu - Jianshu & Qiangshu Bronze

[GeneChing]

Amazing Martial Arts Performance at Taipei 2017 the 29th Summer Universiade
By Effie Chen (Patch Poster) - Updated September 1, 2017 5:42 am ET





Taipei 2017, the 29th Summer Universiade kicked off on Aug. 19, with athletes competing from over 140 nations. This is a great opportunity to let the world see Taiwan and an occasion for sports competition and cultural exchange. The awe-inspiring overture to the event was presented by Tai Ji Men at the Taipei Municipal Stadium at 6:00 p.m. Tai Ji Men’s ancient Tai Ji Formation, titled “Passing on the Torch, Heart to Heart,” was publicly presented for the first time in thousands of years. The ever-changing formation contained sub-formations as Tai Ji Men dizi (similar to student) constantly moved and changed the formation. The spectacular 9-minute performance allowed spectators from all angles to enjoy an unforgettable and inspirational experience. To show the host country’s profound and extensive culture, the organizer specifically invited Tai Ji Men to perform; Tai Ji Men had also performed during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Among the 268 Tai Ji Men dizi who performed at this Summer Universiade were those who participated in the cultural performance during the 2000 Olympic Games. Now middle-aged, they led even younger members to perform this time. This shows the spirit of passing on the torch of culture, and this time Tai Ji Men’s performance was even more magnificent than that in 2000.

Tai Ji Men’s formation allowed people to gain a better understanding of the principle that the highest spirit in sports is to spread peace. Tai Ji Men, an ancient menpai (similar to school) of qigong, martial arts, and self-cultivation, has preserved ancient wisdom of yin and yang. Tai Ji Men shifu (master) passes his kungfu to his dizi and guides them to cultivate their hearts and practice qigong. With years of qigong practice as the foundation, Tai Ji Men dizi work seamlessly with one another on the field. With one heart and with their hearts united with their qi (energy), they were constantly moving and smoothly displayed various formations. Doing so was quite physically taxing and more than ordinary people could endure. Tai Ji Men dizi were waving the command flag, five-color flags, swords, shields, staffs, double sticks, and all sorts of weaponry, and young ladies were performing a sword dance in the center of the field. These different formations containing ancient wisdom are precious cultural treasures as well as artistic presentation of qigong and martial arts.

Yin-Zhi Chang, a professor at Stanford University, mentioned that Tai Ji Men’s performance was extremely amazing. She hoped that the energy and spirit could be shared with the athletes. Kuang Hui Peng, dean of College of Design at National Taipei University of Technology, felt very emotional and said, "I feel that the performance contains very profound martial arts and aesthetics. He said that practicing martial arts helps strengthen the citizens' bodies and the nation, and he felt righteous energy during the performance. He was very moved and thankful to Tai Ji Men for sparing no efforts to promote martial arts. Wen-Yi Lin, a famous writer, said that he hopes that all 7 billion people of the world can see this, which displayed the strength of Taiwan and Tai Ji Men dizi’s unity, beauty, and loyalty. He also said that through Chinese culture Tai Ji Men’s shifu teaches his dizi the paradigms for cultivating their hearts and practicing qigong. Through the Summer Universiade, Taiwan’s beauty will be discovered, added Lin.

In preparation for the performance, Tai Ji Men dizi from all walks of life and all corners of Taiwan traveled to Taipei to practice together under the hot summer sun for three months. Two students from Los Angeles went to Taiwan during their summer vacation to participate in the training sessions for the performance and experienced the profundity of the ancient culture of Tai Ji Men. Yvonne Lai, a student of Claremont Graduate University, said, "It is an extraordinary undertaking for Taiwan to host the 2017 Summer Universiade. It is my honor to display the beautiful Chinese culture of qigong in the international arena and allow foreign friends to see the soft power of Chinese culture." Only in her twenties, she has rich experiences of cultural exchange around the world. Under the guidance of Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, she and other Tai Ji Men dizi attended the UN DPI/NGO Conferences in 2014 and 2016. Additionally, she attended the International Conference of Chief Justices of the World in India in 2014 and the International Human Rights Education Conferences in the Netherlands and Chile in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

Yvonne performed the sword dance. In the past three months under the scorching sun, she realized, "As a sword needs to be heated by fire and cooled by water to become strong and precious, the training has helped me become ready to accept the trials in life." Tai Ji Men's sword dance contains the wisdom of balancing toughness and tenderness. The dance displayed the spirit of bravery and tenderness and a big heart. Yvonne and other young ladies made various formations while delivering the graceful and powerful sword dance and spreading the energy of love and kindness. The dance formation was ever-changing. These young ladies dressed in beautiful traditional Chinese outfits in five colors formed a huge sword of righteousness to symbolize upholding justice. Yvonne said, "In the past, I tended to give up easily. Through the course of the tough training, I learned to be more perseverant. I have become more courageous to face the unknown future."

Fletcher Wu, a sop****re at a university, also learned a lot from the training for the performance. He said, "I have learned to change myself and bravely face my problems instead of escaping them as I needed to constantly adjust myself to make the whole formation move swiftly and effectively." In the past, he was used to waiting for his supervisor to tell him what to do and dared not to take the initiative to consult others. "I found out that if I am not willing to change my bad habits, they will hinder me all the time and prevent me from being successful," added Fletcher.

Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy, representing Taipei Martial Arts Association to perform in the event, has long been dedicated to international cultural exchanges. It has been invited multiple times to perform in international events. During the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, it was the only cultural group of qigong and martial arts to be invited to perform in the Olympic Park. Jing-Guo Wu, member of the International Olympic Committee, said that having the Chinese cultural performance during the Olympic Games has a positive meaning, and Tai Ji Men’s ideal is in line with the spirit of the Olympic Games. He especially extended his gratitude and respect to Tai Ji Men. In 2001, Tai Ji Men received First Place in Martial Arts and Kung Fu Group Demonstration at the 8th World Cup International Martial Arts Championship and was awarded the first place in 4 competitions, including Internal Quan (Chinese boxing), External Quan, Weaponry, and Qigong. It also received the “World Top” Outstanding Performance Golden Award. That is a rare feat in international martial arts tournaments. The Japanese chief judge at the 8th World Cup International Martial Arts Championship, Mr. Sawamura stated that he was privileged to witness Tai Ji Men’s martial achievements. Under the leadership of Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, Zhang-men-ren (grandmaster) of Tai Ji Men, Tai Ji Men’s martial arts are truly amazing. In particular, its formation is unpredictable and ever-changing. That really demonstrated what martial arts are about, added Mr. Sawamura.

Tai Ji Men specially delivered this profound cultural performance to wish the event to be successful, all athletes to surpass themselves and promote sportsmanship, and all people to foster global peace and coexistence. With the 2017 Summer Universiade in full swing, the people of Taiwan are showing it their support and feel enthusiastic about the pursuit of excellence in sports and the thrill of overcoming limitations.

Tai Ji Men website

[GeneChing]

Tiger Claw President Jonny Oh is in Macao now supporting this once again. We'll have a full report in our Fall 2018 issue.

Macau to host first edition of World University Wushu Championships
By Michael Pavitt Wednesday, 1 August 2018


The World University Wushu Championships will begin tomorrow in Macau ©FISU

Macau is set to host the first edition of the World University Wushu Championships with competition beginning tomorrow.

Action will take place at the Macao Forum in the special administrative region of China.

The event has been organised as part of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) World University Championship programme.

Athletes have begun training today in the venue, with an official Opening Ceremony and welcome dinner set to take place at the Macau Fisherman’s Wharf later today.


Competition will take place until August 5 ©FISU

Competition will begin tomorrow, with sanda athletes among the martial artists set to compete.

Four men’s sanda categories will be contested at the Championships, with athletes contesting either the 52, 60, 70 or 80 kilogram divisions.

There will also be women’s 52kg and 60kg events.

Taolu competitions will also be held throughout the Championships, with 10 separate events being held.

The sanda events will conclude on Sunday (August 5), with the Closing Ceremony taking place afterwards.

About the author
Michael Pavitt Reporter
Since joining insidethegames.biz in 2015, Michael Pavitt has covered a variety of international multi-sport events, including the Baku 2015 European Games, the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games, Sapporo 2017 Asian Winter Games and Taipei 2017 Summer Universiade. He also reported on the UCI Presidential election in Bergen in 2017, as well as attending the IOC Session in Lima and three ANOC General Assemblies.

[GeneChing]

I'm not sure why this keeps getting reported as 'the first'. What was Taipei?

China win first two golds at World University Wushu Championship
By Dan Palmer Thursday, 2 August 2018


The World Championship began in Macau ©WUC Wushu

China claimed the first two golds of the World University Wushu Championship by triumphing in the men's taijijian and women's taijiquan categories.

Jingshen Wang took top honours in the men's event in Macau after he was awarded a score of 9.53 for his routine.

Ka Seng Chong won a home silver medal with a score of 9.47 at the Macau Forum.

Bronze went to Hong Kong's Chung Hei Yeung on 9.45.

In the women's competition, Xiaohui Wang was China's gold medallist on 9.56.

Uen Ying Juanita Mok won silver on 9.55 for Hong Kong and Malaysia's Sydney Sy Xuan Chin bagged bronze on 9.30.


The event is the first-ever World University Championship in wushu ©WUC Wushu

The event is the first-ever World University Championship in wushu.

Medals are set to be awarded tomorrow in the chanquan, nangun and and nandao categories.

Matches are also underway across the sanda weight categories.

Four men’s sanda categories are being contested, with athletes contesting either the 52, 60, 70 or 80 kilogram divisions.

There are also women’s 52kg and 60kg events.

Action will conclude on Sunday (August 5).

About the author
Dan Palmer Desk Editor
Dan is the Desk Editor at insidethegames.biz. He previously worked as sports editor for MK News, Bedfordshire on Sunday, Luton on Sunday and the Northamptonshire Herald & Post. He has also worked as a reporter at the Stranraer & Wigtownshire Free Press in Scotland.

[GeneChing]

Did Macau just upstage its own Universaide?

04 Aug 2018
Macau | International Boxing Federation to bring world title match to Macau in 2019 - President
The President of the International Boxing Federation told MNA today that the organisation is looking to bring an international title match to Macau in the Summer of 2019 as it prepares to kickstart IBF Silk Road Champions Tournament this Sunday



Macau (MNA) – The President of the International Boxing Federation (IBF) Daryl J. Peoples, told Macau News Agency (MNA) the organisation is trying to bring an international title match to Macau in the Summer of 2019.

“We’re discussing possibly holding the IBF convention here and if that happens we’ll definitely have a world title fight, supported by a bunch of local talents. Even if the convention doesn’t come here, we’ve got a lot of support from Macau so we’ll try to bring a title match[…] We’re trying to build boxing here in Macau,” Mr. Peoples told MNA.

The IBF President made the comments on the sidelines of the weigh-in ceremony held this Saturday at the Macau Fisherman Wharf, which precedes the opening match of the 2018 IBF Silk Road Champions Tournament to take place tomorrow evening at the Wynn Palace.

IBF is one of four major organizations recognized by the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) and allowed to organise world championship boxing bouts, alongside the World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Organization (WBO).

The IBF Silk Road Champions Tournament – which launched its first edition last year in Macau – kickstarts the IBF B&R 2018 season, with fighters from 75 counties and regions counties included in the Chinese government One Belt and One Road initiative such as Azerbaijan, India, Uzbekistan, Russia, Korea, Japan, Thailand and Philippines.

The event is co-hosted by IBF and Chinese media group People.cn and promoted by the Rejoy Group.

“We had a pretty good turnout [last year] so we had many countries coming [to this year’s edition] or returning for the second time. It’s going well,” Mr. Peoples added.

The event is included in the 2018 Wushu Masters Challenge, organised by the Macau Sports Bureau (ID) from August 2 to 5, with the IBF President saying support from local authorities and business sponsors made having the event in Macau “an easy choice”.

“Macau is going to be our B&R headquarters, we’re also contemplating bouts in Thailand and Moscow,” Mr. Peoples told MNA.


Contenders for IBF Silk Road Champions Tournament fight on August 4

This year’s tournament will include a bout between Chinese Macau fighter Micael Ferreras Olfindo Hong Kong fighter Siu Tin Raymund Chau for the IBF B&R Junior Lightweight Contender Fight.

There will also be fights between IBF Asian Champion Hu Die with Ukrainian fighter Olena Medvedenko over IBF SRC Female Featherweight Semifinal, and between IBF China Champion Gao Shuxin and Thai fighter Phanom Phoyaem over the IBF SRC Middleweight Semifinal.

According to the Senior VP of Rejoy Group, Andrew Lu, there are currently two tournaments organised simultaneously, the IBF China Professional Boxing Tournament – “for Chinese nationals, giving a platform for young boxers to show their talents” – with the winners able to compete at the upper level tournament, the IBF Silk Road tournament.

“Whoever wins this one will be ranked top 15 in the whole world and have a chance to move up and even challenge the world champion so we’ve open a career development path for young Chinese and Silk and Road countries fighters,” Mr. Lu added.

[GeneChing]

China to avoid competing in all international university sport events until May amid coronavirus outbreak
By Daniel Etchells Saturday, 22 February 2020

FUSC has cancelled the participation of its athletes in all international events until May over the coronavirus outbreak



The Federation of University Sports of China (FUSC) has cancelled the participation of its athletes in all international events until May over the coronavirus outbreak, it has been announced.

In a statement, the International University Sports Federation (FISU) revealed the decision was taken "keeping the safety of participants and organisers in mind".

It means FUSC's athletes will not compete in this year's first three World University Championships (WUCs), namely those in cross-country in Marrakech on March 7, speed skating in Amsterdam from March 10 to 13 and ski orienteering in Rovaniemi from March 23 to 27.

"FISU extends its best wishes to all Chinese university athletes for their continued training and looks forward to their renewed participation at the earliest appropriate opportunity," the statement reads.

FISU also warned it will "continue to monitor the situation closely" ahead of the two WUCs due to take place in China in July.


Latest Chinese figures put the death toll from coronavirus at 2,236 people and total infections at more than 75,000 ©Getty Images

WUC Wushu is scheduled to be held in Liaoyang from from July 11 to 14, while WUC Squash is set to be staged in Shanghai from July 17 to 23.

"With more than four months to go, FISU is hopeful that these events will go ahead as planned," the statement added.

"FISU would like to reiterate its full confidence in the organisers of these events and in China’s capacity to effectively tackle the outbreak."

The latest figures from China put the death toll from coronavirus at 2,236 people and total infections at more than 75,000.

The virus has also spread around the globe, with more than 1,000 cases and several deaths in the rest of Asia, in Europe, the United States and Africa.




About the author
Daniel Etchells Senior reporter

Daniel Etchells graduated from the University of Huddersfield with a BA honours degree in Media and Sports Journalism in 2010. Before joining insidethegames.biz, Daniel covered football for various national newspapers through the Wardle Whittell Agency and undertook placements writing for the official website of his beloved Manchester United, the Manchester Evening News and BBC Sport.

THREADS
Wushu at the Universiade
COVID-19

[GeneChing]

Politics derails sport: China issues stapled visas for India’s Wushu athletes from Arunachal Pradesh
By Avishek Roy,
Rezaul H Laskar
Jul 28, 2023 06:41 AM IST

Stapled visas are meant to indicate that China doesn’t recognise India’s sovereignty over Arunachal Pradesh.

New Delhi India on Thursday lodged a strong protest with China over three Arunachal Pradesh players in the national wushu team being given stapled visas instead of regular ones, with New Delhi saying the practice is unacceptable and could draw a suitable response from the Indian side.


Three women players – Nyeman Wangsu, Onilu Tega and Mepung Lamgu – are from Arunachal Pradesh, which is claimed by China even as India strongly rejects this position. (AP file)

The wushu team’s departure for Chengdu, China, to compete in the World University Games (July 28 to August 8) was put off by the government on Wednesday night because three members were issued stapled visas. The 12-member team included eight players, a coach, and three officials.
Three women players – Nyeman Wangsu, Onilu Tega and Mepung Lamgu – are from Arunachal Pradesh, which is claimed by China even as India strongly rejects this position.
“It has come to our notice that stapled visas were issued to some of our citizens representing the country in an international sporting event in China. This is unacceptable and we have lodged our strong protest with the Chinese side, reiterating our consistent position on the matter,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a routine media briefing on Thursday.
“India reserves the right to suitably respond to such actions,” he said, reiterating that India’s long-standing and consistent position is that “there should be no discrimination or differential treatment on the basis of domicile or ethnicity in the visa regime for Indian citizens holding valid Indian passports”.
Stapled visas are meant to indicate that China doesn’t recognise India’s sovereignty over Arunachal Pradesh.
The development came against the backdrop of the military standoff between India and China on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) since May 2020, which has taken bilateral ties to a six-decade low.
People familiar with the matter, who asked not to be named, said visas for the team were applied for on July 16. While the other team members got their visas on time, documents for the players from Arunachal Pradesh weren’t accepted.
They were finally asked to submit their documents again on Tuesday, and the Chinese embassy returned their passports with stapled visas on Wednesday, the people said.
The three players were scheduled to depart for Chengdu on Thursday night. The other members of the wushu team were to fly out at 1 am on Thursday. The people said the entire team has said it will boycott the event in China.
The government, after being apprised of the issue, directed the wushu team to put its travel plans “on hold”. The team came back from IGI airport in Delhi at around 2.30 am, while those from other disciplines left for Chengdu.
All the three players from Arunachal Pradesh are also part of India’s Asian Games squad. The Asian Games are scheduled to be held in Hangzhou, China, from September 23. An official aware of the matter said the accreditation numbers (which are sent to a National Olympic Committee confirming entries) of the three players have arrived, but with the latest development, there are concerns about their participation in the Asiad.
The development was, of course, a big blow to the wushu team, which was expecting to win medals at the World University Games. The team included 2018 Asian Games medallist Roshibina Devi Naorem of Manipur.
The Indian contingent for the World University Games is sent by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), which organises selection trials for athletes from universities across India.
China has in the past refused visas to sportspersons from Arunachal Pradesh or issued stapled visas, effectively barring their travel.
In 2011, the Chinese embassy issued stapled visas to five karate players from Arunachal Pradesh for a championship in Quanghou. In 2013, two archers, Maselo Mihu and Sorang Yumi, were stopped from participating in the Youth World Archery Championship for the same reason.
Allowing Indians from the state with stapled visas to travel to China would amount to acknowledging that Arunachal Pradesh is disputed territory, and immigration officials at all airports have instructions not to allow anyone with a stapled visa to board a flight to China, one of the people cited above said.
China began the practice of issuing stapled visas to residents of Arunachal Pradesh in the mid-2000s and it extended the practice to residents of Jammu & Kashmir in 2009. During a visit to India in 2014, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi contended that stapled visas do “not undermine or compromise our respective positions on the border question”.
In response to these practices, India stopped referring to the “one China” policy in official documents more than a decade ago.

I'm always saddened for the athletes in these sorts of situations.

[GeneChing]

Stanford shines at World University Games

Judy Liu '26 competing in the taijiquan (tai chi) competition at the University Games. (Courtesy of Judy Liu)
By Aslıhan Alp
Oct. 2, 2023, 8:47 p.m.

Six Stanford students competed in the 2023 FISU World University Games in Chengdu, China this summer — the first time the games were hosted since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alex Lee ’22 M.S. ’23, Marisol Torro ’24, Amy Tang ’25, Judy Liu ’26, Zhier Fan ’26 and Hayden Kwan ’26 attended the competition, which included taekwondo, judo, wushu and swimming events. Many earned top-10 finishes.

During the opening ceremonies, students carried the American flag and marched around the stadium. “We were all extremely impressed with the fireworks display,” said Fan, who competed in the swimming event.

Torro, who competed in the judo event, also said that the opening ceremonies were a highlight of the experience. “It was very surreal and a special experience to be a part of something this grand. We all felt celebrated,” Torro said.

To qualify to represent the U.S. in judo, Torro won the National Collegiate Judo Association Championships for the 57 kilograms and under category. After qualifying, Torro trained for the Games while working a full-time internship. Since Stanford’s judo club shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic and is yet to return to campus, Torro commuted to San Jose State University to train.


Torro at the University Games judo competition. (Courtesy of Marisol Torro)

Torro’s competition at the University Games did not go as she had hoped when she failed to overcome competitors from India and Italy to advance to the next round. “Both of the matches were tough but also winnable. I learned a lot from both of them and competing at an international elite level,” she said.

Torro said she hopes to return to the international stage at the 2025 World University Games. “I am already inspired and motivated to keep working even harder,” Torro said.

Liu was injured during a competition last year and was unable to walk for months afterwards. This year was an opportunity at redemption: “I think competing in the University Games is like a blessing. After last year, I didn’t know if I would ever be able to compete on the world stage again and show people what I’ve been working on,” Liu said.

A month into her frosh year, Liu resumed her wushu training through the Stanford Running Club and an off-campus wushu club. She hopes to create a wushu club at Stanford this fall.

Wushu is a traditional martial art form that originated in China and has two main disciplines: sanda and taolu. Taolu has three distinct styles including Liu’s specialty, taiji, which is further differentiated as taijiquan (or tai chi), the fist form, and taijijian, the sword form. Liu competed in both during the University Games.


Liu competes in the Taijijian competition in the University Games. (Courtesy of Judy Liu)

“The most specific skills of wushu are mental control, body language with beauty, fight skills, drama performance skills and eye contact with personal spirit showing,” said Zou Yunjian, who is Liu’s coach.

According to Liu, tai chi is a misunderstood sport. “Some people often criticize it like, ‘You’re not doing tai chi you’re just dancing,'” Liu said. “I want to show that I’ve taken this philosophy, put it into my form, and my life. I just want to show that this is what tai chi is.”

While Liu mostly focused on the wushu tai chi professional skill in her training, she also studied philosophy to better understand tai chi culture and body language arts.

“I hope she can show off her skills in the combination of traditional fighting and modern arts with spirit. We want to win, but also win people’s respect,” Yunjian said before the competition. Liu ended the University Games with a sixth-place finish in taijiquan and an eighth-place finish in taijijian.

Lee competed in the taekwondo competition at the Games, focusing specifically on the poomsae category, a choreography where you do a set number of motions of attacking and defending. Poomsae is scored based on the accuracy of the presentation, the athlete’s power and the athlete’s kicks. In order to qualify for the Games, athletes are asked to compete in both traditional combat and freestyle poomsae, which Lee prepared while pursuing a computer science masters at Stanford.

“Getting ready for competition at the same time with classes was really hectic,” Lee said. Lee, who has competed in Taekwondo since he was five, trained alone and with a physical therapist for the University Games, while also relying on help from the Stanford Taekwondo Team.

“The Stanford Taekwondo Team has really supported me a lot throughout the journey. I really appreciate their support,” Lee said.

The University Games, where Lee earned a bronze medal, marks an end to competition for the athlete. “This is my last major competition, and I’m hoping to meet a lot of people, socialize and just enjoy it all,” Lee said in an interview shortly before the games.

“I have been to the Pan American Games and World Championships, but I wasn’t able to go to the University Games. I can finally now say that I’ve been able to go to all three of the major events,” Lee said.


Lee competes in Taekwondo at the University Games. (Courtesy of Alex Lee)

Fan, Kwan and Tang competed at the Games in swimming.

Kwan swam in the 50-, 100-, and 200-meter backstroke as well as two relays: mixed 4×100 medley relay and men’s 4×100 medley relay. He placed eighth in the mixed medley relay and 12th in the 200-meter backstroke.

Kwan said the times were “a bit slower than my personal bests” since he was not able to rest much amid preparation for the Asian Games in September. His first time at the competition, Kwan said he especially enjoyed the opportunity to meet athletes from a variety of sports.

Fan competed in the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststrokes and placed ninth and 19th in the events, respectively.

Like Kwan, Fan said he enjoyed watching and competing against other top athletes.

“In both of these events, I was lucky enough to observe and compete against the reigning world champion, Qin Haiyang. That was a great learning experience, observing how he warmed up his body and prepared for the race, as well as sitting next to him in the ready room,” Fan said.

Fan described the competition as one of the most remarkable of his career and said coaches who previously attended the Olympics “said that this was one of the closest replicas that they had seen.”

“Competing, cheering and just walking around at the Village was incredible to me,” Fan said.

Aslıhan Alp is a high schooler writing as part of The Daily’s Summer Journalism Workshop. Contact them at workshop 'at' stanforddaily.com.

Judy Liu was our Tiger Claw WildAid champion this year.