Brunei Darussalam leading wushu sensation Basma Lachkar has been nominated as a candidate for the highly-coveted World Games Athlete of the Year 2023 by the international multi-sport event the World Games recently.
The wushu talent etched her name in the record books after becoming the first Bruneian to secure a silver medal in the Asian Games following exploits in the women’s taijijian and taijiquan All-Round event.
The 20-year old will battle it out for the individual accolade against 21 other exceptional athletes from various countries who specialise across a spectrum of sports.
Basma enjoyed a successful season last year having also bagged bronze in the women’s taijiquan event at the 16th World Wushu Championships at Fort Worth, Texas last November.
Amid a highly competitive international field, her accomplishment in the United States (US) also marked the country’s first-ever medal in the global meet.
She is no stranger to success in the US having bagged her country’s first-ever medal at the World Games after winning gold in Birmingham, Alabama in 2022.
As of press time, Basma has received a total of 2,253 votes.
Members of the public can vote for Basma – who has been described as a national hero – through the World Games website. – Fadhil Yunus
