World Junior Wushu Championships open in Tianjin

More than 1,100 athletes from 78 countries and regions, including the United States, India, and Iran, gathered in Tianjin on Wednesday for the opening of the 10th World Junior Wushu Championships.

The event, which runs through Monday, marks the first time that the world's largest and highest-level junior wushu competition has been held in the Chinese mainland. The biennial event was held in Macao in 2012.

Organized by the International Wushu Federation, the championship will select 48 young athletes to compete at this year's Youth Olympic Games to be held in Dakar.

Zhang Yuping, secretary-general of the IWUF, said that wushu is not merely a sport but also a cultural bridge that transcends borders and connects hearts. "Youth represent our future, and we are delighted to see an increasing number of young people embracing and practicing wushu," she said.

She highlighted Tianjin's deep-rooted wushu heritage. The city hosted the International Invitational Wushu Championships in 1986, a milestone that witnessed and contributed to wushu's journey toward global recognition.

Huang Ji, director of the Tianjin Sports Bureau, added that the city's status as a renowned hotspot for martial arts provided a solid foundation for hosting the event.

Huo Jinghong, a participant in the opening ceremony and a descendant of the legendary martial artist Huo Yuanjia, said: "A century after the passing of my ancestor Huo Yuanjia, it is a special honor and privilege to represent his legacy and witness Tianjin hosting this world-class wushu competition. This World Junior Wushu Championships truly fulfills the aspirations of my forebears to strengthen the nation and its people and to achieve harmony under heaven."

Wu Jing, actor and IWUF goodwill ambassador, said that wushu plays a significant role in promoting Chinese culture worldwide. He expressed hope that events like this would help traditional martial arts serve as a cultural bond connecting young people across nations.

Recalling his first experience participating in an international wushu event in the early 1990s, Wu reflected on the sport's remarkable evolution over the past three decades. "As Chinese martial arts culture continues to spread globally, practicing wushu has become a cross-border phenomenon, with more people around the world embracing it and experiencing the charm of Eastern wisdom," he said.

Gvantsa Karchava, a competitor from Georgia, is taking part in the World Junior Wushu Championships for the first time."I think wushu really deserves to be a part of the Olympic family, and I'm really excited to be part of this," she said. "My team and I really love China—the culture, the people, everything."

"Wushu in Thailand is like a philosophy of living," said Meme Sirinapha, a coach from Thailand. "I want the young people who compete in the Olympics to be athletic and play sports happily."

Zhou Jianan contributed to this story.