BiG Focus : Welcome To The World of Wushu!

Brunei is in for a treat this September, as the 9th Wushu World Junior Championship event touches down in the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan for a week of competition, sportsmanship and regional community building. Known for its impressive displays of power, gracefulness and artistry, the competitive martial arts category has grown in popularity and gained recognition across the world, becoming an official sport at various international and regional competitions like the Asian Games and Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. Globally, the biennial Wushu World Championships is the key focus of every Wushu athlete’s career. Our own Wushu sweetheart, Basma Lachkar, found international success and recognition for Brunei with her impressive medal run of 10 podium finishes — one of her two gold medals in this very competition in 2022 and the first ever for Brunei.

But what exactly is Wushu, you might be asking? If you’ve ever watched Hong Kong movie stars like Jet Li or Donnie Yen in a movie, then you’ve definitely seen some aspects of the Wushu in action. Both actors are famous for their effortless fighting styles and action choreography which has inspired millions of would-be kung fu fighters to throw flying kicks and punches around their bedrooms. Competitive Wushu is practiced through individual routines (taolu)  which are split into various categories and where props like swords and spears are used in the choreography. The World Junior Championships also includes a full contact combat sport category (sanda) which will be showcased in Brunei for the first time.

The popularity of the Wushu in Brunei has certainly grown judging by the number of athletes now training under the Wushu Federation of Brunei Darussalam, Ang Ju Ming, says that it was his passion for Wushu and the intention to share a new way to maintain a healthy lifestyle that led him to explore the sport over twenty years ago, and has since dedicated his time and efforts to building the current Brunei national team. “I hope Bruneians will come to support their national athletes this September, and create new interest to grow Wushu to become bigger and better in Brunei!”

Exposure to international-level competitions is very important for any professional Wushu athletes’ development and for Brunei to be the hosting country of the 9th Wushu World Junior Championship this September 22nd to 30th means that our full national team will be able to compete on the international stage — some for the very first time. The event is shaping up to be an exciting fun-filled week. Entry to watch the competition events everyday during that week will be free for members of the public where there will be exclusive merchandise for sale. In addition, there will be a food park with local vendors where the athletes and members of the public can fuel up throughout the day. So what are you waiting for? Mark the dates, grab your friends and family, and come down to the National Indoor Stadium Complex this September 25th to 29th to support our national Wushu team and witness first-hand world class Wushu athleticism!