Brunei Darussalam faced its own unique challenges in hosting the prestigious 9th World Junior Wushu Championships, but have turned those challenges into triumphs.
Executive Co-Chairman of the 9th World Junior Wushu Championships Dr Muhammad Firdaus bin Abdul Rahman said this in his closing remarks during the closing ceremony held at the Indoor Stadium of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex yesterday.
He further added, “This would not have been possible without the unwavering support of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam and the Government of Brunei, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS) and the relevant government agencies as our co-organising committee.”
The executive co-chairman also conveyed his deepest gratitude to the International Wushu Federation (IWUF) for their critical role in making the championship a success.
The contributions of the volunteers particularly the liaison officers were also not left unnoticed with Dr Muhammad Firdaus praising them for their resilience, respect and compassion as well as their hard work.
Dr Muhammad Firdaus said, “Some of you faced difficult challenges – some of you even shed unseen tears while dealing with adversity and occasional bullying – but you stood strong.”
The executive co-chairman was fully appreciative of their dedication and commitment to serve especially in putting the country and the event first.
He also drew praise to parents, observers and supporters across the world for their role in aiding the athletes to grow in confidence and aspire greater dreams.
Dr Muhammad Firdaus, who also serves as the Vice President of Wushu Federation of Brunei Darussalam, also added that the Dakar 2026 Youth Games will be a milestone that marks a history in wushu.
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Nazmi bin Haji Mohamad was the guest of honour at the event.
The highlight of the closing ceremony saw a flag handover to the next host country, China.
The special moment saw Dr Muhammad Firdaus handing over the giant flag to Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Nazmi who passed it to Vice President of IWUF Sherif Moustafa, before lastly handing it over to Vice President of the Chinese Wushu Association in Tianjin City Chen Chong.
Prior to the flag handover ceremony, volunteers entered the arena amid a rousing reception from the crowd.
Shortly after, the event continued with a performance from the upcoming host city Tianjin City in China.
Earlier, the audience was treated with a performance carried out by the various gold medallists during the 9th World Junior Wushu Championships.
The 9th World Junior Wushu Championship 2024 was organised by the Brunei Darussalam Wushu Federation and supported by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports.
The five-day long meet contested two categories namely Taolu and Sanda, which were held in separate venues at the Indoor Stadium of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex and the Multi-purpose Hall of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex, respectively.
This edition of the championship, which is held biennially, saw the participation of 931 participants, consisting of 507 athletes, 220 team officials, and 204 technical officers, and observers from 50 countries, including Algeria, Armenia, Australia, Belgium, Benin, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Czechia, Egypt, France, Great Britain, Georgia, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Japan, Kazakhstan, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Lithuania, Macau, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines, Palestine, Portugal, Romania, Senegal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine, the United States of America, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and the host country Brunei Darussalam.
The World Junior Wushu Championships is widely known as IWUF’s premier official junior championship, showcasing the highest level of competitiveness among its junior athletes. – Fadhil Yunus
