Celebrating the 6th World Wushu-Kungfu Day: the 9th Open Wushu Bingdao Cup Hosted by Latvian Sports Wushu Federation

On August 12, 2023, in order to celebrate the 6th World Wushu-Kungfu Day with the theme of “Rejoice in Reunion”, the Latvian Sports Wushu Federation organized the grand “9th Open Wushu Bingdao Cup”.

At the opening ceremony, distinguished guests from Latvia and China gathered together on this significant occasion. Among them were President Roman Vlacenko, CFO Viktorija Vlacenko and Secretary General Jana Kosenko from Latvian Sports Wushu Federation; Ambassador Mr. Tang Songgen, Minister Counselor Ms. Song Danhui, Secretary Mr. Hou Tete, Mr. Wang Yuejin, and Mr. Cai Wenzhen from the Chinese Embassy in Latvia; Director Ms. Wang Nan, Secretary Ms. Yao Yizhou and Mr. Zhao Guodong from China Cultural Center in Riga; Director Mr. Shang Quanyu and martial arts volunteer Ms. Zhong Mengting from Confucius Institute at University of Latvia; Vice President Mr. Xia Xiaolei from Latvian Chinese Association; Mr. Guo Qun and Ms. Li Deping from Riga bureau of the Xinhua News Agency. Together, they witnessed the splendid opening of the competition.

Altogether 45 athletes from both Latvia and Estonia took part in the tournament. The representative teams included the Riga Wushu Kungfu Sports School, Konoha Martial Arts Academy, Kung Fu Pansin Academy, and the “Golden lotus” from Estonia. The competition featured categories such as individual Bingdao combat, Bingdao Taolu, and Bingdao Duilian. The participating athletes spanned a wide range of ages, from 5-year-old youngsters to 22-year-old young adults, with male participants slightly outnumbering females.

Amidst fierce competition, this championship crowned five gold medals, five silver medals, and four bronze medals in the Bingdao Taolu category. In the Bingdao Duilian, two gold medals, two silver medals, and two bronze medals were awarded. The individual Bingdao combat section also presented nine gold, nine silver, and nine bronze medalists. Notably, six participants earned the title of “All-Around Winner” in individual Bingdao combat, Bingdao Taolu, and Bingdao Duilian. As of now, the number of Latvians engaging in Bingdao sports has surpassed 100, which vividly illustrates how Bingdao, an ancient art rich in philosophical connotations, is capturing the enthusiasm of an increasing number of practitioners.

This martial arts extravaganza, using Bingdao as a cultural conduit, facilitated international friendly exchanges and cultural mutual learning on this special occasion of World Wushu-Kungfu Day. Furthermore, it provided participants with a platform to showcase their talents, sparking greater interest in Bingdao training and further propelling the development of the martial arts discipline.

2023年8月12日，迎来了第六届世界武术日，主题为“以武会友，共享其乐”。为庆祝这一重要时刻，拉脱维亚体育武术协会于同日举办了盛大的“第九届兵道杯武术公开赛”。

开幕式上，来自中拉两国的嘉宾齐聚一堂，其中包括拉脱维亚体育武术协会会长罗曼以及维多利亚和雅娜等，中国驻拉脱维亚大使唐松根、公参宋丹卉、秘书侯特特，大使馆经商处王跃进和蔡文震，里加中国文化中心主任王楠和秘书姚一舟、赵国栋，拉脱维亚大学孔子学院中方院长尚劝余和武术志愿者钟梦婷，华联会副会长夏晓雷，新华社里加分社负责人郭群和李德萍等，共同见证了比赛的盛大揭幕。

来自拉脱维亚和爱沙尼亚两个国家的45名选手参与了本次武术公开赛，代表队伍包括里加武术功夫体育学校、康诺哈武术学院、功夫潘新学院、爱沙尼亚金莲队等。比赛项目涵盖兵道个人对抗、兵道套路和兵道对练。选手年龄跨度广泛，从5岁的年幼选手到22岁的青年选手，男性选手稍多于女性选手。

在激烈角逐中，本次武术公开赛诞生了兵道套路金奖5名，银奖5名，铜奖4名；兵道对练金、银、铜奖各2名；兵道个人赛金、银、铜奖各9名。其中6位选手荣获“套路、对练和个人赛”全能冠军。截至目前，拉脱维亚参与兵道运动的人数已超过100人，充分体现了兵道作为古老且富有哲学内涵的武术运动吸引了越来越多的热情参与者。

这场武术盛会以兵道为媒介，在世界武术日这一特殊时刻促进了国际友好交流与文化互鉴。此外，这也为参与者提供了展示自我才华的平台，激发更多人投身兵道训练，进一步推动了武术事业的蓬勃发展。