Tanzania: Chinese Kung-Fu to Be Spread in Country
3 November 2010
Dar Es Salaam — TANZANIA Wushu (Kung-Fu) Association (TWA) is determined to spread the game country wide, with the aim to competing in Olympic Games within the near future.
This was said on Tuesday by TWA Secretary General Fred Maiga, after an inspirational performance by two Tanzanian athletes at the recently concluded World Wushu Championships in China.
He said the association has plans to training as many coaches as possible through the existing clubs in various regions such as Dar es Salaam, Morogoro and Mwanza, saying the trainers will go out to train others and in so doing increase the number of athletes in the country.
He said the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is considering including Wushu in its list of sports at the quadrennial Games, and he sees no reason why Tanzania should not prepare to compete.
He said the talents are there ready to be exploited. He cited an example of Zachary Ouko and Ramadhan Mshana made the name for the country after winning a total of seven medals in various events in China.
At least 2500 athletes from 89 countries took part in the 4th World championships. Africa was represented by 18 athletes.
The duo who attended training at the Shandong Sports University from September 22 to October 28 passed with flying colours and they were invited to take part in world events staged at three different cities of Hebei, Hubei and Henan.
Ouko, who competed in five events, snatched a bronze medal in Taichi at the first event that was held in Hebei.
He went ahead to win a silver medal in Taiji quan. In Hubei City he won bronze medal in Nan quan (Boxing routine) and this came shortly after he missed by a whisker to snatch a bronze Taichi.
The determined young man from Tarime did not end there as he claimed another silver medal in Gunshu at the last event that was staged in Henan Province.
His compatriot Ramadhan grabbed two bronze medals in shaolin quan event and a bronze medal shaolin sword event.
Both Ouko and Ramadhan expressed their determination to see the game is fully practiced in Tanzania.
Ouko told the' Daily News' on Tuesday that the sky is the only limit for them to succeed further. However they said lack of support and sports kits was paddling them back.
"We need support from the government and public at large and surely soon Tanzania will become a master of Wushu in Africa," bragged Ouko.
The sport of Wushu is both an exhibition and a full-contact sport derived from traditional Chinese martial arts.
It was created in the People's Republic of China after 1949, in an attempt to nationalize the practice of traditional Chinese martial arts.
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