Two Rwandan Kung-Fu Wushu athletes Emmanuel Mutuyimana and Steven Iragena will represent the country at the 2023 World Wushu championship which will take place in Dallas, United States, from November 14-22. The Rwanda Kung-Fu Wushu Federation (RKWF) was expecting to have at least four representatives for the championship but, due to financial constraints, the federation could only afford to facilitate two athletes. “We wish we could have had more in the world championship but we couldn’t because of financial challenges,” said federation president Marc Uwiragiye. Mutuyimana and Iragena are among over 50 Rwandan Kung-Fu Wushu from different clubs across the country who attended the Kung-Fu Wushu seminar that concluded Wednesday, October 25, at Tsen Sport Kung-Fu Organization in Kimihurura, Kigali. The 50-day seminar, which started in September, was organized in partnership with the Embassy of China in Rwanda through “Henan Friendship Overseas Affairs service Co. Ltd.” Led by Chinese masters Chen Haijun and Zao Changan, the seminar saw Rwandan Kung-Fu Wushu athletes acquire various training on Shaolin Martial Arts and Taiji boxing known as Chen style. Closing the seminar, Li Hang, the Deputy Counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Rwanda, acknowledges the cooperation existing between Rwanda and the People’s Republic of China, saying that bringing the Chinese Wushu master to share Wushu skills with Rwandan athletes over the course of 50 days defines what the relations between the two countries stands for. “We have seen so many Rwandan Kung-Fu Wushu masters growing. I believe they will become the future Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, and they will also become the future ambassadors of goodwill cooperation between China and Rwanda because they are learning together from their master from China,” Hang said. “As I just mentioned, caring is sharing and they are sharing some knowledge. They are learning the tricks in Kung-Fu, they are also learning about the knowledge we share in the two countries. The Wushu is about fighting for peace. That is morality and the top value of Wushu,” the diplomat added. Uwiragiye commended the Henan University of Technology and the Chinese Embassy for its continuous support to the development and promotion of Kung-Fu Wushu in Rwanda. “We, Rwandese, especially the federation, would like to work closely with them to maintain our people-to-people relationship, and let us be part of this program,” he noted.
