Friends with wushu, Passion in Brazil. On April 17th, the 17th World Wushu Championships Medal Release ceremony was successfully held at the Hengyuanxiang building, Beijing, China, marking a crucial stage in the preparations for this premier international wushu event.
IWUF Secretary General Ms. Zhang Yuping remarked in her speech that this year marks the 35th anniversary of the IWUF. After dozens of years of hard work, the international wushu family has flourished, and breakthroughs in the international promotion of wushu have been achieved. As the world's highest competitive wushu competition, the World Wushu Championships is making its debut in Latin America since its inception in 1991. This marks not only a geographical expansion, but also a significant milestone in the deepening international development of wushu.
Chairman of the 17th World Wushu Championships Organizing Committee, President of the Brazilian Wushu Confederation, Mr. Marcus Alves introduced the preparation. “Under the support of Sports Department and Tourism Department of Brasilia City, the overall preparation for the upcoming 17th WWC is going smoothly. We expect more than 1,000 participants from 70 countries and regions attending the WWC.” On behalf of the Local Organising Committee, he warmly invited wushu enthusiasts from all over the world to gather in the warm hospitality of Brasilia to enjoy the unique splendor of this wushu event.
IWUF Honorary Vice President Liu Ruiqi specially noted, in his address, “that the IWUF global partner, HYX Group, has been committed to supporting wushu culture promotion and branding since 2012.”
The event unveiled the design of the event's medals. The front of the medal features this event’s logo, which combines a traditional Chinese Yin-Yang symbol with Brazilian elements. The left silhouette shows the ocelot, an endangered species in the Brazilian forest, symbolizing the harmony between human beings and nature; the flame symbol on the right side symbolizes the passion of wushu; and the star in the centre represents the modernized host city, Brasilia. On the back is the IWUF logo. A green ribbon for the medal incorporates elements of the Brazilian rainforest and national flag.
Director of Communications of the Brazilian Organizing Committee, Ms. Paula Amidani, introduced the visual identity of the championship. The three mascots, ‘Green Jade, ‘Red Jade’ and ‘Blue Jade,’ are based on the Brazilian ocelot, and vividly display the wushu styles of nanquan, taiji and sanda, respectively. The overall design is a clever blend of Chinese and Brazilian cultural essence.
Beijing Shichahai Sports School brought a captivating wushu performance to the event, and won a burst of applause.
Chair of the IWUF Technical Committee, Li Yongqiang, Vice Chair of the IWUF Kungfu Committee, Luc Bendza, Vice Chair of the IWUF Marketing and Development Committee, HYX Beijing Co-Vice President, Liu Xiaojin, Head of Public Diplomacy, Cultural and Press Section of Embassy of the Federative Republic of Brazil in People's Republic of China, Ms. Bárbara Policeno Pereira and other guests attended the ceremony.
As a leader in the Latin American wushu development, Brazil has successfully hosted multiple international events, including the 2018 World Junior Wushu Championships. This year's championship will be held from August 31--September 7 in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, and is expected to attract widespread attention from wushu enthusiasts around the world.
