Five wushu players in China

FIVE wushu players left Zimbabwe for a one and half month stint in the Lion Dance performances in China.

The team was picked after excelling in qualifying stages that also featured five other African countries, DRC, Malawi, Nigeria, Seychelles and South Africa.

Team Zimbabwe comprises of Munyaradzi Arthur, Leonard Govere, Wellington Mangena, Fanuel Rwodzi and Wayne Chimusoro.

Zimbabwe Wushu Association president Gilbert Makowa said the qualification of Zimbabwe to represent Africa shows that the country is still one of the top countries in martial arts.

“We are excited that we managed to make it past the preliminaries and the Chinese were impressed with the Zimbabwe team, hence our participation in the Lion Dance performances up to September 28. They will not only be representing Zimbabwe, but the African continent, which shows that we are a force to reckon with in martial arts,” said Makowa.

Wushu is both an exhibition and a full-contact sport derived from traditional Chinese martial arts. It was developed in China after 1949 in an effort to standardise the practice of traditional Chinese martial arts.

The qualification of Zimbabwe follows the visit of Chinese Henan Art Troupe to Zimbabwe earlier this year.

The troupe performed at Celebration Centre in July during a show dubbed “Night of Chinese Kung Fu” as part of the Henan Art Troupe’s Wu Shu Cultural Exchange programme, courtesy of the Ministry of Culture of China in partnership with the Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe.

In 2015, Zimbabwe took part in the sixth Zurkhaneh Sports World Cup where they came fourth out of 22 countries.

Gadison Chigwada was also adjudged the best in the Chack Chimani martial arts category, which is part of the Zurkhaneh martial arts discipline. — @ lavuzigara1