News / Sports

Iran finishes second at World Junior Wushu Championships

Tuesday, 04 October 2016 1:25 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 04 October 2016 1:27 PM ]

Junior Iranian wushu practitioner Shahin Banitalebi

Young Iranian male and female wushu artists have ended their campaign at the sixth edition of World Junior Wushu Championships in Bulgaria with more than a dozen medals, and finished as vice champions at the conclusion of the high-status event.

Having claimed seven gold, seven silver and five bronze medals, the Islamic Republic of Iran stood behind toppers China with 19 gold and three silvers.

Macau clinched five gold, four silver and three bronze medals to secure third place.

On Monday, Iran’s Mohammad Ali Mojiri took part in boy's Nangun competitions at Mladost Sports Hall in the southeastern coastal city of Burgas, and pocketed a bronze with 8.95 points.

Representatives from South Korea and Macau finished first and second respectively.

The Nangun is a variation of the application of the northern Chinese staff, and its movements stress hitting, in contrast to the cutting and swinging techniques of the northern staff.

Nazanin Baazdar also landed in the second position of the chart and collected the silver medal with 8.95 points in the final competition of girl's Changquan contests. She fell to a contestant from Singapore. The bronze medal went to a competitor from Hong Kong.

In the boy's Jianshu division, Shahin Banitalebi outperformed rivals from Hong Kong and Indonesia, and clinched a gold medal for Iran.

Jianshu is a form of Taolu, where the participant uses a sword as the main element of the routine.

Additionally, Fatemeh Jazini claimed the third position in the girl's Gunshu section, winning a bronze medal for the Islamic Republic of Iran. Participants from Belarus and the United States came first and second.

Gunshu is a form of wushu where the participant uses a staff as the main element of the routine.

Later in the day, Iran’s pair of Mohammad Hosseini and Hossein Rahmani notched up 9 points, and was named champion at the end of boy's duilian event. Malaysian and French duos took the silver and bronze medals.

Duilian is a dual event in wushu, where there is some form of sparring with weapons, or without weapons or even using bare hands against weapons. Duilian is usually spectacular, and actions are choreographed beforehand.

The sixth edition of World Junior Wushu Championships started in Burgas on September 25 and finished on October 3, 2016.

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