Sri Lanka Wushuites win Gold at World Traditional Championships

Sri Lankan Wushuites have secured one old, five silver and 10 bronze medals at the fifth World Traditional Wushu Championships held at Haungshan Gymnasium in the Anhui Province of China.

It was held from 6 to 11 November 2012. This is the best performance by the Sri Lankan Wushuites under the leadership of Cultural Minister T.B. Ekanayake who took the reins of Sri Lanka Wushu in 2000.

Shyaman de Silva of Kandy won the first-ever gold for Sri Lanka at these prestigious World Championships in his event ‘Other Thaijiquan’ men’s event in 32 form Thaijijian. He also won a bronze in the ‘Other Thaijiquan’ event.

The Prince of Wales schoolboy, who won two golds at recently concluded Sri Lankan Nationals, Viraj Denuka Chathuranga won two silvers in his events, ‘Other Nanquan’ and ‘Other Nangun.’ The 18-year-old Chathuranga is the first Wushuite to win two silver medals at a world level. He is also in the National Wushu pool for the forthcoming South Asian Games.

Veteran players Elvis Nishantha (Nangun), Lakshman Karunarathne (Thaijijian 32 form) and Prince of Wales schoolboy Pathum Poorna Vancuylenberg (Long Apparatus) won the three other silver medals. Nishantha and Karunarathne also won bronze medals in their other events, ‘Nanquan’ and ‘Chaquan.’

Other bronze medals were won by Neshadi Perera, Sumudu Sanji, Theekshana Buddhika, Jinitha Ranmal, brothers Mevan and Prabhash Karunaratne, L.C.K. Lokumanage and Kalindu Nishadika. 2,800 players from 58 countries participated in the fifth Traditional World Wushu Championships. The Sri Lanka team is managed by Vijith Edirisnghe and is coached by Ruchira Bodhinagoda.