BiG Buzz : Power & Grace in the Capital

What a glorious occasion to celebrate! The 9th World Junior Wushu Championships touched down in Brunei for the first time ever — approximately 50 countries flew in to participate in this global sporting event, and it was a special occasion not just because of the inaugural hosting by Brunei but also for many of our budding national junior athletes who made their competitive debut here. Known for its impressive displays of power, gracefulness and artistry, the competitive martial arts category has grown in popularity and recognition across the world. 

It’s now an official sport at regional and international competitions like the Asian Games and Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. Competitive Wushu is practiced through individual routines (taolu)  where there are further subdivisions with fake props like swords and spears used in choreography, and as a full-contact combat sport (sanda). Globally, the biennial World Wushu Junior Championships are the paramount of every Wushu athlete’s year. Brunei’s own Wushu Champion, Basma Lachkar, found international success and recognition for Brunei with her impressive gold medal at the World Games event – the first ever such win for a Bruneian Wushu athlete at the time! This time, it was our junior athlete’s time to shine and did they ever!

The exciting week was filled with intense displays of agility, skillful performances that were thrilling to be able to watch in person, and with a stadium filled with the loud clamor of supportive spectators it’s clear that live sports events like this are a wonderful opportunity for the community to come together and show some love for their nation!