Two young athletes from Jingjiang city – a county-level city administered by Taizhou city, in East China's Jiangsu province – achieved medal success in a recent national wushu (Chinese martial arts) championship.
Pictured in the group photo is Xu Jinhan in black, sixth from the left and Wang Honglin in blue, fifth from the right. [Photo/zhjjwx.jsjjw.cn]
The two, Wang Honglin and Xu Jinhan, competed in the prestigious "Shandong Aoqiang Cup" National Youth Wushu Sanda Championships and the Ninth World Youth Wushu Championships Selection Tournament held in East China's Shandong province on June 14-21.
Competing for the Jiangsu team in the men's Junior 45 kilogram and men's Junior 52 kg categories, Wang and Xu secured third places in their respective events.
Coach Zhu Xu highlighted Wang's exceptional work ethic, describing him as having a remarkable ability to endure challenges.
Wang's rigorous training regimen and disciplined approach, including meticulous weight control and intense daily workouts, led him to shed over 11 pounds in the month before the competition.
Xu Jinhan, hailing from a martial arts family, honed his skills through early sparring sessions with his father. He showed flexibility and coordination in his bouts, despite a narrow loss preventing him from reaching the finals.
The National Youth Wushu Sanda Championships attracted over 830 athletes from 42 teams across the country and it's considered the premier youth Wushu Sanda tournament in China.