On December 14, 2018 the Chilean Wushu Federation celebrated the 15th Anniversary of its founding at the Choy Lee Fut Chile Academy in Santiago, Chile. The ceremony began with a Traditional Lion Dance performance, followed by a national sanda and taolu judges certification during which 30 new judges were certified.
Exhibitions throughout the evening featured taolu (kids between 5 and 8 years old), traditional routines (Choy Lee Fut style), and taiji (Chen style) performances.
Following the exhibitions, top Chilean athletes of 2018 who competed in the 2018 World Junior Wushu Championships in Brazil were recognized for their accomplishments, as were the Chilean team’s technical directors (sanda, taolu, and physical trainer) who work tirelessly and voluntarily for the growth of the sport in Chile.
To close out the ceremony, the founders of the Chilean Wushu Federation were given distinction for their contributions, without which the Chilean Wushu Federation would not be were it is today. All in all approximately 100 people participated in the event. The night was full of camaraderie, friendship, appreciation, and, of course, wushu.
In addition to the event, the Chilean Wushu Federation was also recently featured in a sports development initiative developed by the Chilean Sport Institute, with the treasurer of the Federation (Elizette Toledo) appearing as a face of the campaign for sports programs throughout the country. It is clear that not only is wushu in Chile as healthy as ever, but it is thriving, too!
You can follow the Chilean Wushu Federation on Instagram (@federacionchilenadewushu) and Twitter (@fedwushuchile).