PANJIM: The Multipurpose Indoor Stadium at Peddem transformed itself into Chinese Martial Arts arena as the Lusofonia Games 2014 Wushu competition kicked off today. The form of Chinese Martial Arts which is making its debut at Lusofonia Games this year, saw martial artists from several Luso nations that put in their best.
The preliminary rounds for the two competitive disciplines of Wushu – Taolu and Sanshou were held today.
In Taolu, the athletes were judged on their routines, quality of movements, degree of difficulty and all over performance. Rounds such as Chang Quan, Nan Quan, Taiji Quan, Dao Shu, Nan Gun, Qian Shu, Gun Shu, Dao Shu, Jian Shu, Nan Dao, Taiji Jian were conducted and the participants did their best to impress the judges.
The stadium at Peddum was converted into a swanky martial arts arena. The Wushu equipment which was unpacked, assembled and set up at the stadium was appreciated by spectators and players alike.
The term Wushu is Chinese for martial arts. Wushu is both an exhibition and a full-contact sport derived from traditional martial arts techniques. It was developed in China after 1949, in an effort to standardise the practice of traditional Chinese martial arts.
In contemporary times, Wushu has evolved as a sport through the efforts of the International Wushu Federation (IWUF), which holds the World Wushu Championships every two years. The first World Championships were held in 1991 in Beijing.
