There will be about 2,000 participants at next week’s SJM Cup – The 8th Macau International Wushu Festival and Macau International Martial Arts Competition, the head of the event, Fok Chi Chiu, said on Monday.
Fok made the remarks during a press conference at Kam Pek Community Centre in Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro.
The martial arts festival, which will take place from next Tuesday to Friday, is co-organised by the Macau Chinese National Traditional Sports Association and SJM Holdings. Fok noted that martial arts practitioners from 11 countries and regions will compete, with around 160 teams consisting of a total of 2,000 athletes competing.
According to the Macau Post Daily, Fok said he hoped that by organising this event, locals could become more aware of Chinese traditional martial arts while providing a platform for martial arts experts to exchange experiences.
Fok pointed out that 10 different tournaments will take place during the 4-day festival, including Wushu (Chinese martial arts) Taolu championships, a Taekwondo elite championship, a Jeet Kune Do (“the way of the intercepting fist”), also known as JKD, competition, and a Chinese traditional archery contest.
All events will be held on the Macau Polytechnic Institute (IPM) campus in Zape. Admission is free.
The association is also organising a mobile device photography competition for secondary schoolchildren. Pupils can register on WeChat to sign up for the photo contest by Saturday. Winners can win up to MOP 2,000.
The statement noted that the association was founded in 2012. Its aim is to promote traditional martial arts and improve the health of the general public. Besides organising festivals and competitions, the association also hosts talks and classes about martial arts.
Fok pointed out that this year his association has been talking to schools about adding Wu Dragon [Dragon Dance] and short weapon fighting as extracurricular activities, adding that his group also studying how to invite instructors from the mainland to teach at local schools.
