Wushu championships attract young, old athletes to Tallinn

About 130 athletes attended the opening ceremony of Tallinn Junior and Estonian Wushu Open Championships 2016 on Saturday in the capital of Estonia to promote the sport and healthy way of life.

Organized by the Estonian Sports and Traditional Wushu Federation, the three-day event from Friday to Sunday attracted athletes from Latvia, Russia and Estonia to compete in different groups of gender, age (from 6 years and younger to 36 years and older) and qualifications, as well as the European Wushu Federation judges.

Priit Korve, President of Estonian Sports and Traditional Wushu Federation, told Xinhua that his federation has close links with Latvian and Russian counterparts for training and competitions, and the sports event aims to raise the spirit of the warrior among practitioners, improve Wushu skills, and exchange experiences.

Addressing the opening ceremony, the Chinese Ambassador to Estonia, Qu Zhe, hailed the Estonian Sports and Traditional Wushu Federation for its efforts to promote Wushu and the Chinese culture, promising further assistance to the federation.

Young medalists and their parents expressed their love for Wushu, noting the connection of martial arts with strength and even philosophy. Endit