Brunei Darussalam wushu star Basma Lachkar rewrote the history books after winning her country’s first medal at the 16th World Wushu Championships at Fort Worth, Texas in the United States on Saturday.
She bagged bronze in the women’s taijiquan event after recording a score of 9.770 points.
Basma started her routine with a wide and low stance before combining strength and flexibility as part of her weaponry.
She also wowed the judges after executing a single leg balance, showing poise and elegance.
In what was a solid performance, Basma transitioned through her stances with such control and managed so much heights on her jumps.
In the final segment of Basma’s performance, she perfectly executed her power moves with a combination of speed, power and agility of Tai Chi.
Singapore’s Zeanne Zhi Ning Law bagged the gold medal while Philippines’ Agatha Chrystenzen Wong won silver.
The world meet, organised by the United States of America Wushu-Kungfu Federation (USAWKF) under the auspices of the International Wushu Federation (IWUF), attracted over 600 athletes from more than 80 countries. Top athletes from Asia, Europe, Africa, Pan America and Oceania competed in the championship.
The highly-prestigious competition also marked the end of a nearly three-year wait in the United States when they last hosted the event in 1995 in Baltimore, Maryland. – Fadhil Yunus
