Thirteen-year-old Zheng Zhenxing, a middle-school student from
Zhengzhou took the gold this morning in the Taiji men's
competition, open to all ages, at the Seventh Annual Zhengzhou
International Shaolin Wushu Festival, the most prominent event of
its kind in China.
"My dream is to compete in the Olympics in 2008," said Zheng, a
member of the Zhengzhou Wushu Team coached by Hu Jiping. The city
of Zhengzhou in Henan Province is the home of the Shaolin
Temple, considered the birthplace of both Zen Buddhism and
traditional martial arts.
Zheng beat out competitors from all over the world at Zhengzhou
Gymnasium to take the men's Taiji competition, one of several kinds
of wushu competition open to men and women sponsored at the
festival which will continue through September 5. The other top six
winners in the Taiji men's finals were from China, Poland, Mexico
and Hong Kong.
Wushu is not yet an Olympic event, but with Beijing's winning bid
for the 2008 Olympics, wushu organizers on a national level are
working on a presentation for applying to the International Olympic
Committee (IOC). The IOC is expected to make a decision on this
matter some time next year, according to Li Jie, director of the
Wushu Management Center of the State Administration for Physical
Culture and Sports in Beijing. Li opened the festival yesterday at
ceremonies at a packed gymnasium with spectators and athletes from
some 26 countries and regions.
"Whether wushu joins the Olympics or not, wushu will thrive," said
Li who emphasized in an interview that it is the competitive branch
of wushu that aims to be a part of the Olympic movement, not the
traditional art from which competitive wushu has its origins and
which is practiced world-wide for its psychological, spiritual and
health benefits, as well as for self-defence.
"Wushu originated in China, but it now belongs to the world," said
Li. But he also emphasized that he thought that competitive wushu
could make a great contribution to the Olympic movement.
"The Olympics would become better because many of the sports in the
Olympics today represent the West. Wushu represents the East. The
medals of the Olympics are not what is important. What is most
important is the exchange between East and West, and the better
understanding that can contribute to world peace. Wushu contributes
to this world exchange of culture."
Li
mentioned that wushu was a demonstration sport at the 1936 Olympics
in Berlin and that three of those Chinese athletes -- two on the
mainland and one in Taiwan -- are still alive and also dreaming of
seeing wushu as a sport in the 2008 Olympics.
Meanwhile, at today's International Shaolin Wushu Festival, while
young Zheng (who mentioned in his interview that he had started to
practice wushu because he was in ill health and felt weak when he
was younger) wowed both the audience and his fellow competitors
with his power, grace and control in his performance of the 42
movement Taiji form, in the second ring --Mikio Shiraishi, a
60-year-old sushi chef from Orlando, Florida, became the center of
media attention after his performance of a Chang-style Taiji form
of his own design, requiring a constant and very low stance that
would challenge a Taiji player of any age.
Shiraishi's performance won him second place, losing by only .03
points to Li Ni from China. Other top placing participants in the
demonstration arena were from Taipei, Poland, the U.S.A. and
Germany, but all participants in the demonstration area received
plaques, emphasizing the importance of participation, not winning
or losing, of traditional martial arts.
Shiraishi, who came from Japan to the United States to live some 20
years ago, said that he had practiced wushu under many teachers and
was enjoying watching the other performers. He came with a group of
53 students from Florida, Tennessee, and Massachusetts from the Wah
Lum Kung Fu School, one of some 11 delegations from the United
States.
Other participating countries and regions included Japan, Gabon,
Sri Lanka, Russia, Canada, Mexico, Italy, Brazil, Ukraine,
Kazakhstan, Korea, Yugoslavia, South Africa, Czech Republic,
Switzerland, Singapore, Holland, Australia, and Iran. A
representative of the Italian delegation read the oath of athletes.
All judges at the competition have been certified under
international rules.
(China.org.cn by Sara Grimes and Zheng Guihong 09/02/2001)