World junior wushu champions find sport builds character over combat

After the 10th World Junior Wushu Championships concluded in Tianjin this month, a group of international athletes stayed behind to play an impromptu game of chase the bottle.

For many, wushu is less about combat than character. Leandro Gia-Hy Luong, a Swiss athlete, said his coach's constant reminders not to fight have become a personal code of restraint and respect.

Anthony Sims, an American referee with more than 20 years of experience, described the sport as "perseverance, humility, and growth", stressing the importance of mental strength.

Athletes echoed that view. Valeria Dudamel from Venezuela wakes up early to train and rarely breaks her routine. She summarized wushu's impact on her life as "perseverance, discipline, and determination", qualities that apply on and off the training ground.

After the finals, Ludmila Rosales from Argentina and Catalina Brun Leiva from Peru exchanged pins with their opponents, calling them "a bridge of goodwill". Both said wushu had brought them confidence, love, perseverance, and friendship.

With 162 member associations worldwide, the International Wushu Federation is helping turn values such as respect and self-discipline into a shared global language.