Tatarstan President takes part in the opening ceremony of World Wushu Championships in Kazan

On September 28, Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov attended the opening ceremony of the 14th World Wushu Championships at the Gymnastics Center in Kazan. The milestone event, which attracts 900 fighters from 64 countries, is being held in Russia for the first time. The best sportsmen from Russia, Iran, China and many other countries will be competing at the championships on September 28 – October 3.  

Before the ceremony Rustam Minnikhanov had a meeting with Vice-president of the International Olympic Committee, President of the International Wushu Federation Yu Zaiqing, who noted high level of the organization of the sports event and expressed his confidence that it would be one of the best championships.  

Speaking at the ceremony, Rustam Minnikhanov wished sportsmen fair competition, and guests and fans unforgettable impressions.

“I welcome you in the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tatarstan, and our capital – Kazan. It is a great privilege for us to host this championship. Sportsmen from 60 countries have gothered here today. I hope that they will like Kazan. We are always happy to host different wushu championships,” Tatarstan President said.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it is a great privilege for us to see so many wushu masters at the 14th World Wushu Championship. It is a very exciting moment. Let me welcome the guests of the championship on behalf of the International Wushu Federation. I would like to express my gratitude to leadership of Kazan for outstanding organization. I wish sportsmen, who have been tirelessly working and training, to enjoy every moment, because you are the heart of these competitions,” Yu Zaiqing said.

The prestigious competition, the most spectacular and hard martial arts tournament, is held by the International Wushu Federation twice a year and is composed of two disciplines: taolu and sanda.

The International Wushu Federation (IWUF) was recognized by the International Olympic Committee during Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City in February 2002. IWUF held official competitions during cultural and educational programmes at summer Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008. In 2015, wushu was included in the list of candidates for the Olympic programme in Tokyo in 2020. IWUF is now preparing the bid campaign for the admission of wushu to the Olympic programme of 2024.