Chinese training before Games

by Leslie Fernando

Wushu is yet another discipline to be included for the first time at the 10th edition of the South Asian Games. Wushu will be held from August 19 to 23 at St. Joseph's College Indoor Sports Complex at Darley Road.

Sri Lanka is ready for Wushu challenge as 12-member Wushuites squad is in China for advanced training under Professor Mia Zhugh. "Sending the team to China was cheaper and the International Wushu Federation is responsible for overseeing their training. They are training at the Bejing University," said Manel Dharmakeerthi, Secretary, Wushu Federation of Sri Lanka. The six-member team. Sampath Wijesundera (52 kg), Thilak Hettiarachchi (56 kg), Asiri Wijesinghe (60 kg), Janaka Ranjith Bandara (65 kg), Eranga Weerasinghe (70 kg), D. Nishantha (75 kg).

These six men Wushuites will fight in Sanshu events (dual fights) on a knockout basis. Meanwhile Asanka Premaratne will fight in the TAOLTJ Routing Events (Chang Quan event) Prabath Manuranga in (Nanquan Event) and Sujitha Manju Kumara in the Thasiquan event. All three are combined events.

The three women Wushuites Charika Darshani in the Changquan event, Damayanthi Samarawickrema in the Nanquan event and Ashini Weerasinghe in the Thasiquan event of TAOLTJ Routing Event. Wushuites from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will battle-it-out in both the men's and women's events.

Dharmapriya said that our target on Wushu discipline is to win four gold medals. However, we do not know the strength of other participating countries.