SUCCESSFUL EVENT

70 competitors rub shoulders in second edition of Kungfu championship

The tournament was a celebration of the rich and vibrant culture of Kungfu Wushu, a discipline that has captivated people around the globe-Njoroge.

In Summary

• The first edition of the Kenya Kungfu Championship in 2021 helped create more interest in the sport locally, according to Njonge.

• He added that Kungfu began to be developed in Kenya in 2000 and currently, an estimated 3,000 Kenyans actively participate in the sport.

A karate training session.
A karate training session.
Image: /FILE

Ngaruiya Njonge, chairman of Kenya Kungfu Federation, said that 13 clubs and 70 competitors took part in the second edition of the Kenya Kungfu Championship which was sponsored by the Chinese embassy in Kenya on Saturday.

The kungfu tournament was staged in Kiambu.

"The tournament was a celebration of the rich and vibrant culture of Kungfu Wushu, a discipline that has captivated people around the globe," said Njonge.

He added that Kungfu began to be developed in Kenya in 2000 and currently, an estimated 3,000 Kenyans actively participate in the sport.

The first edition of the Kenya Kungfu Championship in 2021 helped create more interest in the sport locally, according to Njonge.

Tang Jianjun, Cultural Counselor of the Chinese embassy in Kenya, said that Wushu, a form of expression of traditional Chinese thought, has now emerged as an international sport covering 158 countries and regions across five continents.

"The International Olympic Committee has approved that Wushu will be included as an official sport in the fourth Youth Olympic Games in Dakar in 2026. I hope at that time, Kenyan Wushu players will stand on the youth Olympic stage and achieve good results, "said Tang.