Young Athletes Showcase Wushu Skills in Cuba, Highlighting Character Growth & Olympic Aspirations
Havana, cuba – A recent competition showcased the growing popularity of Wushu and Qigong in Cuba, with young athletes demonstrating notable skill in the Chinese martial art. the event, held amidst the summer heat, drew attention to the positive impact the discipline has on character development and the ongoing efforts to gain Olympic recognition for the sport.
Five-year-old Fabián García, with only one year of training, especially impressed onlookers with his technique, earning notable applause. His mother, Mayliu Calixto, an industrial engineer with the Ministry of Communications, noted the sport’s influence on her sons, stating, “The practice of sport, along with his brother Flavio, has made him more disciplined and persevering.”
The sentiment was echoed by Any Rossy Tirado, mother of competitor Anthony Pérez. “Anthony has changed in everything, physically, mentally, in the study. He has put a lot of effort and is more organized,” she shared. Tirado herself was a former student of the Cuban School of Wushu and Qigong, later pursuing a career as a theater actress.
The competition was overseen by Meyling Wong, the Cuban School of Wushu’s deputy director and a certified international referee – one of the few Latin American women to achieve this distinction. Participants focused on demonstrating their knowledge of Nanquan, a style within Wushu.
However, organizers emphasized that success wasn’t the sole focus. Roberto Vargas Lee, director of the Cuban School of Wushu and Qigong, stressed the broader benefits of martial arts. “The greatest thing that a martial art has, after so many years in it, we realize that it is indeed the path of life to be a good citizen, more at the time humanity is living,” he told Xinhua. He further elaborated on his core mission: ”My mission in life has been to form good citizens, not only champions, because not everyone is going to be great athletes, but everyone has to be good people.”
Vargas Lee views competitions as a crucial step in the development of young athletes and a contribution to the larger goal of Wushu’s inclusion in the Olympic Games. “Cubans cannot be left behind, so we are forming a group of children from which the future talent of Wushu will come out in the country,” he stated.
The Cuban School of Wushu and Qigong is preparing to celebrate its 30th anniversary in October, having successfully fostered Chinese martial arts and therapeutic exercises within Cuba. The school currently boasts a network of approximately 8,000 practitioners across the Caribbean nation, serving as a hub for both athletic training and the preservation of Chinese culture and traditions.
