Garon Wilkinson Excited About Wushu Event
Around 30 athletes are expected to compete in the Bermuda Open Wushu Championships at Whitney Institute Middle School next month.
Local athletes Cole Durham, Che Beane, and Kaelin Cox are slated to participate in wushu sanda [Chinese kickboxing], along with junior competitors Enzi Johnston, Muryah Swan, and Geraldine Sidders.
In addition, Talia Iris and Cox will showcase their skills in the wushu taolu [forms] category.
The championships starts at 10 am on November 2.
Garon Wilkinson, president of the BSA, said the event will feature a novice class, designed to give athletes new to competition a valuable opportunity to gain experience on the leitai – an elevated platform covered in high-density foam with a canvas top.
“We want to allow our newer athletes looking to move into the national programme to compete in an atmosphere that’s perhaps not as daunting as the international stage,” Wilkinson told Bernews.
For many athletes, this will be their first time competing on the leitai.
“It will give them a chance to show what they’ve been learning under the tutelage of our coaches,” Wilkinson added.
This year’s championships will mark the first time the island has hosted a competition focused exclusively on Chinese martial arts, welcoming both local and international participants.
Among the Pan American Wushu Federation-certified judges officiating the event will be Oscar Lightbourne, Chaquita Simmons, Nolette Webb, and Dwayne Cox.
Registration costs $20, and admission is $10 for spectators.
For more information, email wushubermuda@gmail.com.
