Li Yueyao holds the title of International Sports Master of China and in 2019 she received the Medal of Honor for Sports of the People's Republic of China. In her weight category of 52 kg she has won gold medals at the Asian Games and the World Wushu Championships. In 2013 she won the silver medal for women's 52kg in the sanda competition at the 12th National Games of China. In 2015 she won first place in the National Sanda Championships. In 2016 she won the gold medal in the 9th Asian Wushu Championships. In 2017 she was champion of the Sanda Asian Cup. In 2018 she won first place in the National Wushu Sanda Championships, and became the 52kg gold medal champion at the 18th Asian Games. In 2019 she took first in the National Wushu Sanda Championships and then won the gold medal in the 15th World Wushu Championships in Shanghai. In 2022 she became champion again in the National Wushu Sanda Championships.

Poonam Khatri began competing in sanda in 2003, and participated in many District, State and National Events, defending her title as National Champion in India for a number of years. In 2004 she won a bronze medal in the 6th Asian Wushu Championships. In 2019 she won a gold medal in the 13th South Asian Games. In 2019 she won a gold medal at the 15th World Wushu Championships in Shanghai.

Juni Rai began training in wushu in 2009 and is a national athlete of Nepal. She demonstrates a very strong character as a sanda fighter which has inspired many people. In 2019 she won a gold medal at the 13th South Asian Games in the 52kg sanda division. Later that year she participated and fought in the 15th World Wushu Championships.

Jade Palet has been practicing Sanda since 2015 and competing for 4 years. She won a silver medal in the 2022 FISU University World Cup Combat Games. Her coach notes that Jade is an athlete with integrity and respect towards the referees and her opponents. She trains with conviction and works towards mutual motivation and to help raise the level of sanda in France. She is currently one of the best French fighters in the sport of sanda.

Hoi Lan Tsang started learning combat spots at age 25. In 2019 she won a silver medal in the 60kg sanda division at the 15th World Wushu Championships. Her story of courage and perseverance as an athlete offers inspiration to all sportsmen. Several years ago she suffered a cervical spinal injury in competition which rendered her partially paralyzed with limited movement. However, she refused to give up, and, despite her injuries, she created a new training plan, set realistic goals and persevered. She trained to get her health back after other remedies failed. She finally overcame all the difficulties and could fight again, and put more efforts in physical and combat training. Not only did she get a silver medal in the 2019 World Wushu Championships, but she became the first Hong Kong female Sanda athlete to win a medal in the World Wushu Championships. This was an incredible breakthrough for herself and also the Hong Kong Wushu Sanda Team.

Praveen Kumar has been training in sanda since 2012 and has participated in numerous district, state and national sanda events, defending his title as India’s national champion for 4 years. In 2016 he won a silver medal in the 9th Asian Wushu Championship. In 2017 he won a silver medal in the Asian Cup. In 2019 he won the gold medal at the 15th World Wushu Championships in Shanghai.

Nasratullah Habibi has been a member of the Afghan national sanda team for 13 years and he is also the coach of the national sanda team for youth. In 2014 he won a silver medal at the 5th World Junior Wushu Championships in Turkey. In 2015 he won a silver medal in the West Asia Wushu Championships. In 2016 he won a gold medal in the South Asia Wushu Championship. He participated in the 2018 Asian Games and also participated in the Pars Cup international competitions. In 2019 he also participated in the 15th World Wushu Championships.

Mohsen Mohammad Seifi has spent 20 years practicing wushu and winning world champion events. His sanda career includes being a 3-time gold medalist at the Asian Games and winning 5 gold medals at World Wushu Championships. In 2009 Mohsen was the silver medalist at the World Wushu Championships, but for the rest of his career he would win only gold medals at the 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019 WWC. His 3 Asian Games gold medals were won in 2010, 2014 and 2018. He is an active athlete who is currently competing in the lran Wushu Pro League and with his team he has achieved the champion title 4 times in row including 2022.

Sunghyun Jo has won many sanda championships, including a bronze medal at the 9th Asian Wushu Championships, a bronze medal at the 29th Summer Universiade, 5th place at the 18th Asian Games, and first place at the 96th, 97th, 99th and 100th National Sports Festival men's division-56kg.Sunghyun won a silver medal at the 14th World Wushu Championships and another silver medal at the 15th World Wushu Championships. His coaches note that Sunghyun demonstrates an excellent attitude towards competition, and his positive results have inspired other members of the team to prepare better for future championships. He also shows outstanding leadership and sportsmanship in the engagement with wushu and his life.

Fei Long Cai has been a member of the Macau Wushu Sanda team since 2017. In 2017 at the 14th World Wushu Championships he won a silver medal in the 75kg division. At the 15th World Wushu Championships in 2019 he won a bronze medal. His coaches note that Fei Long has strong self-confidence and possesses qualities of resilience and adaptability, with the ability to face setbacks and having no fear of strong opponents. He sets a good example for younger athletes, and his wushu stardom has done a lot to promote sanda in Macau, China.

Chen Suijin started learning wushu at the age of 10. She most recently won a 1st category prize at the 8th World Kungfu Championships in Emeishan in 2019, in Taijijian. She won a gold medal in baguazhang at 15th World Wushu Championships. In 2020, she received the title of Ten Outstanding Young Persons in Hong Kong, China. Her coaches note, Suijin is a hardworking and professional athlete with al well-rounded character who excels in a variety of wushu events. The sportsmanship she shows is a model for younger athletes. She also always promotes wushu around Hong Kong, China with performances and demonstrations.

Fenglian Chu is an 8-time champion of Fanziquan and champion of Changsuijian in the National Wushu Championships in China. She has won the “Wushu Hero” title of China, and visited more than 20 countries and regions to give wushu demonstrations. After she became team coach of the Shaanxi Province Wushu Team, her athletes have become national and world wushu champions. She is also Deputy Secretary General of the Shaanxi Wushu Association. In 1975 she won 1st place in group Jianshu at the 3nd National Games of China. In 1979 she won 1st place in group Jianshu at the 4th National Games of China. From 1979-1986 she was 1st place champion in Fanziquan in China’s National Wushu Championships. In 2019 Fenglian was the 1st place champion in Fanziquan at the 8th World Kungfu Championships in Emeishan. She is one of China’s most famous wushu athletes.

Irene Castro is a member of the Spanish wushu national team, and has won numerous championships over the past 12 years. In 2015 she won a silver medal in short weapons and a bronze medal in empty hand at the European Wushu Kungfu Championship, and 2017 she won a bronze medal in internal styles. In 2019 in Emeishan at the 8th World Kungfu Championships she won a 3rd category prize in short weapons. Irene has overcome many hardships and obstacles to follow her wushu dream, including an accident in 2018 with a broken neck. She recalls that wushu gave her strength to build her life back, and she says she believes she can be a role model for wushu practitioners that are going through bad times, because she knows how it feels losing your health and not knowing if you would be able to walk, run or train again.

Australia’s Krista Brennan began her wushu journey over a decade ago, and while she has won many medals and awards, she considers her learning and adventures in taijiquan far from over. Krista won her first international medal in Anhui, China, as part of the Australian team’s group performance at the 6th World Kungfu Championships, and went on to win a bronze and a gold medal in 2017 at the World Kungfu Championships. One career highlight came with winning gold in all her events and being crowned Overall Women’s Champion at the Tai Chi Association of Australia annual competition in 2018. In 2019 she achieved her personal best at the World Kungfu Championships with two silvers and a bronze for her Taijidao, Duilian and Taijiquan routines. Krista’s approach is to keep learning and growing. She appreciates her sport for widening her life experience in a myriad of ways. She also teaches taiji to beginning students now. While travel has broadened her worldview, she says her greatest prize is that of joining an incredible taiji community in Australia and around the world, sharing a unique and special connection with kungfu friends.

As a youth Chunyan Sun learned Taizu routines from Taizu Master Han Xihuan and later entered the Cangzhou Sports School. He won many champions in Hebei Province. He then became a student of the Beijing Sport University between 1995 and 1999 and learned Taiji Push Hands from Prof. Men Huifeng and Huang Kanghui. He also learned Pigua and Fengmogun from Prof. Wang Huafeng. He was a 3-time national champions of Tajiquan, Taijjian and a silver medalist of Push Hands. From 2002-2005, Chunyan taught Taijiquan on CCTV. He has been awarded 7th Duan of CWA and is a judge of national grade in China, judging many national and international competitions. Most recently Chunyan won a pair of 2nd category prizes for Wu style Taijiquan and Taijijian in the 8th World Kungfu Championships.

Roman Vlasenko has won a 1st category prize in Quanshu at the 2014 World Kungfu Championships, a 1st category prize in Taijiquan at the 7th World Kungfu Championships in 2017, and a 1st category prize in Chen Taijijian at the 8th World Kungfu Championships in 2019. Roman is a devoted life-time athlete. Since 2007 he’s been a certified wushu coach in Latvia. He actively promotes wushu events in Latvia to make sure that the awareness and knowledge of wushu is widely spread. From 2012-2020 he was Chairman of the Board and chief coach of Riga Wushu Kungfu sports school, and he was also a board member of Latvian Sports Wushu Federation. Roman continues his development as a coach, judge and international competitions organizer in order to gain knowledge and experience in all areas of development in wushu. However, he also participates in the World Championships as an athlete, to be an example to all students and to continue his personal growth.

As a longtime member of the Spanish National team, Francisco Garcia Mazuecos is a well-rounded wushu athlete, having attended the 13th, 14th and 15th World Wushu Championships as well as many European wushu championships. At the 2015 European Traditional Wushu Championship he won a silver medal in long weapons. At the 2017 World Kungfu Championships he won a 1st category prize in long weapons, and 1st category prize in duilian. At the 2019 World Kungfu Championships he won a 1st category prize in long weapons. Competing and learning wushu has always been a way of life and a behavior code for Francisco, and besides being a wushu coach and a father of two, he also runs his own wushu school, training a new generation of athletes.

Alessandro Piras began to practice wushu when he was 5 years old. Alessandro become a member of the Italian Wushu Kungfu National team in 2008, participating at his first International Championships in Spain. Since 2008 he has participated in the National Championship every year. In 2012 he won a 1st categor, 2nd category and 3rd category prizes in the 5th World Kungfu Championship, for Baguazhang, Bagua jian and group Taijiquan. At the 6th World Kungfu Championships in 2014 he won a 2nd category and a 3rd category prizes, and at the 7th World Kungfu Championship in 2017 he won a 1st category prize and a pair of 2nd category prizes. In 2018 he won a bronze medal in Yang style taijiquan at the 3rd World Taijiquan Championships, and in 2019 he won a 2nd category prize and 3rd category prize at the 8th World Kungfu Championships in Emeishan, China. Alessandro is a certified Italian wushu coach, and he has received several awards and recognitions in Italy, including the Bronze and Silver Medal for Athletic Valour awarded by CONI (Italian National Olympic Committee).

Jamshid Ebram has been a member of the Afghanistan national team for 10 years and he is also the coach of the national taolu youth team. He specializes in Nanquan, Changquan and Taiji. He participated once in the 2017 World Wushu Championships. In Iran he won 3 gold medals in the Pars Friendship Cup, and in the Pars Cup Wushu Championships he earned 1 silver and 1 bronze. He won a pair of 2nd category prizes in the 2019 World Kungfu Championships in Emeishan with Hu Zhao Quan and Nandao in 2019. Jamshid’s coaches note that he is also a prolific scholar and always works assiduously for the development of wushu in Afghanistan.

Patrik Hatala began practicing wushu at the age of ten, and has practiced continuously for almost eleven years. He regularly represents the Slovak Republic based on his high achievements in Slovak wushu competitions. Patrik practices both modern and traditional wushu, where he is focused on bare hand routines such as Changquan and Cha quan, while in weapons his main focus is on modern Jianshu and traditional Chang Sui Jian. In 2019 he won a 1st category prize at the 8th World Kungfu Championships in Chang Suijian. In 2019 he won a gold, silver and bronze medal in Chang Suijian, Changquan and Jianshu at the Acropolis International Wushu Open Tournament. In 2022 he won two gold medals and a silver medal at the National Cup of Moravia.

As one of Australia’s most seasoned wushu competitors, Corey Johnstone has dedicated more than half his life to the sport. He has been a participant in world championship events since 2005, he’s witnessed the development and evolution of wushu’s rules and standards, and he has also helped build an Australian and international following for his favorite event, Xingyiquan. Corey began training wushu in his teens, and went to China to study when he was 23. Two years later he debuted in his first international competition, the 8th World Wushu Championships in Hanoi, in 2005. After a serious back injury, Corey came back to compete in the 13th World Wushu Championships in 2015, where he placed 6th in Xingyiquan. Two years later in Kazan at the 14th WWC, he moved up 5th place, and in 2019 at the 15th WWC he placed 4th. Corey’s long and colorful wushu journey has led him to embrace internal styles, TCM, and Taoist philosophy, and inspired him to travel widely, exploring other cultures, and making lifelong friends around the world. Today Corey continues to look toward elite competition to challenge his best self, and he has also parlayed his wushu training into an exciting stuntman career in Australian film and television.

Jin Yang was born in Anhui Province and entered the Beijing Shichahai Sports School in 2016 to study changquan, but began practicing Taijiquan with the Beijing Wushu Team in 2019 after shifting her focus to taiji. In 2019 she ranked 1st place in Taijiquan all-around at the 2nd Youth Games of the People’s Republic of China. In 2022 she won first place twice, with double gold medals in both Taijiquan and Taijishan at the 8th World Junior Wushu Championships, winning honor for her team and country. Jin’s comprehensive skills, outstanding style, and positive mental outlook help make her a top youth athlete in China with much promise.

New Zealand athlete Anna Zhou says she found a dynamic connection to her culture with wushu when she discovered it at age 7 and began to practice the sport. She was fascinated by the combination of strength and flexibility, and over time wushu became for her not just a sport but a form of expression, an art that links all practitioners together. In 2018 she took first place in Qiangshu at the Oceana Kungfu Wushu Games, and then 7th in Jianshu at the 7th World Junior Wushu Championships. In 2019 she placed 9th in Baguazhang at the World Wushu Championships in Shanghai, and in 2022 she placed 9th in Jianshu at the 8th World Junior Wushu Championships. Additionally, to help promote wushu in New Zealand, Anna has spoken about wushu in schools and given performances at festivals and cultural events.

Wai Meng Kuok won a gold medal in Taijijian, a silver in Taijiquan, and a bronze in Duilian at the 2022 8th World Junior Wushu Championships. She has been a member of the Macau Wushu Team since 2016. During her training for the 8th WJWC she encountered many injuries but her perseverance and work ethic was strong and she maintained a focus on her technique to attain her winning results. Her coach also notes that Wai Meng enjoys the competitions and is able to be herself regardless of the pressure.

Jada Nicole He started learning wushu at age 5 and is now a member of the Hong Kong Wushu Team. At the 8th World Junior Wushu Championships she won a silver medal in Nangun, and 3 bronze medals in Nanquan, Nandao and Duilian. She devotes much time to preparing for wushu competitions and is popular with her coaches and fellow athletes. She values the friendship and solidarity of her teammates, and realizes that competition is not solely about winning and losing, but is also about learning from her experiences and the process to attain her ultimate goal. She also enjoys doing public performances to help promote wushu in her community.

Siwoo Byun began practicing wushu in 2011. In 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 she won 1st place in the Nanquan all-around for the Korean National Youth Competition. In 2019 she also placed 6th in Nanquan in the 10th Asian Junior Wushu Championships. In 2022, at age 17, she took the first place gold medal in Nandao at the 8th World Junior Wushu Championships. Siwoo is popular with her team for having a bright smile and energy. Her coaches note that she is good at making friends, and also at taking care of and helping out younger teammates and athletes, thus demonstrating outstanding leadership skills and enthusiastic engagement with wushu.

Yee Sean Lim started wushu at the age of 9, and has been training wushu for 8 years. Her wushu achievements include a Taijiquan bronze medal in the 2019 10th Asian Junior Wushu Championship, a silver Taijiquan medal in the 2020 World Taijiquan Virtual Competition, and a Taijiquan gold medal in the 2021 Asian Traditional Wushu Championship. Besides her dedication to training, she earns the high respect of competitors, judges, fellow team mates and coaches. Furthermore, she has performed wushu in various major events in Brunei Darussalam, showing more people the beauty of wushu, and greatly helping to promote wushu in her country. Her most recent achievement is a bronze medal for her performance in the Taijijian event in the 8th World Junior Wushu Championships held in Tangerang, Indonesia.

Italy’s Gianmarco Salzano began studying wushu when he was 5 years old. His first international competition was at the 2019 Moscow Wushu Stars where he ranked 11th in Changquan. In Tangerang, Indonesia, he placed 10th in Daoshu and 11th in Gunshu at the 8th World Junior Wushu Championships. He is popular with his fellow athletes, with a passion for his sport, excellent sportsmanship, and a positive mental attitude.

Jiaxi James Liu began his wushu training when he was 6 years old. In 2018 New Zealand sent a team to compete in the 7th World Junior Wushu Championships for the first time, and James won 8th place in Daoshu. The next year he had an amazing opportunity to compete in the 15th World Wushu Championships when he was 12 years old, which offered him great experience and motivated his training. In 2022 he ranked 12th in Gunshu and 16th in Daoshu at the 8th World Junior Wushu Championships, which he says has inspired him to work harder and become more dedicated to earn a future medal in wushu competition.

Li Jiatai received his wushu training in Binzhou Sports School from 2015-2020. He then entered the Shandong Sports Training Center in 2020 for professional training. He has made outstanding performances in youth wushu athletics, and achieved excellent results in major domestic competitions. In 2022 he won the gold medals in both the Daoshu and Gunshu competitions at the 8th World Junior Wushu Championships.

Nepal’s Alish Marik started training in wushu in 2015. Day by day he dedicates himself to practice and improving his wushu. In 2022, he ranked 10th place in Nanquan at the World Junior Wushu Championships in Tangerang, Indonesia. His coaches say he has huge potential to become a great future champion for Nepal.

Marty Shen started wushu when he was 8 years old, focusing on Southern styles. He has been a multiple French champion, and has participated in two international junior wushu championships. In 2018 at the 7th World Junior Wushu Championships he placed 4th in Nandao and 5th in Nanquan and Nangun. In Indonesia at the 8th WJWC, he placed 7th in Nanquan. His coach notes that Marty is highly motivated and hardworking, helps inspire and motivate his fellow athletes, and is honest and fair, knowing how to win and lose with dignity.

Yeongwoo Ko attends Chungbuk Sports High School in Korea, and has won many national titles in wushu. At the 26th National Student Wushu Championships he placed 1st in Nanquan and 2nd in Nandao. At the 5th National Wushu Championship he placed 1st in Nandao, Nanquan and Nangun. At the 34th President’s Cup National Wushu Championship he won 1st place in the Nanquan all-around. In 2022, at the 8th World Junior Wushu Championships, he won a gold medal in Nandao, and a bronze medal in Nanquan. He is noted to have a bright and polite attitude, demonstrating outstanding sportsmanship and leadership.

Diana Rahimi has been practicing wushu for 7 years and has been competing in many high level sanda events. She won her first international gold medal in the sanda competition at the 8th World Junior Wushu Championships in Tangerang, Indonesia in 2022. Her federation believes she is a new super star female sanda athlete with a bright and shining future ahead of her in the sport.

Malak Osama Abdelal began practicing wushu at the age of 10. She is now a member of Egypt’s National Wushu Kungfu Sanda team. In Egypt, she has won 6 national championships with 6 gold medals. She won a sanda gold medal in the 5th Arab Championship for Youth. In 2022, Malak won the gold medal in sanda at the 8th World Junior Wushu Championships in Indonesia.

India’s Tanish Nagar has been practicing sanda since 2017 and has participated in national championship events becoming twice a Sub-Junior Champion and twice a Junior Champion. Internationally he won a gold medal at the Batumi International Wushu Championships in Georgia. In 2022 he won the gold medal in his category at the 8th World Junior Wushu Championships in Tangerang, Indonesia.

Youssef Khaled Bassiuony is a member of Egypt’s National Wushu Sanda Team. In Egypt, he has won 4 gold medals in 4 national championships from 2019-2022. Internationally, he won a gold medal in the 5th Arab Championship for Youth in 2022, and a gold medal in the African Wushu Championship 2022. At the 8th World Junior Wushu Championships in Indonesia, he won the gold medal in his sanda category. Youssef’s coaches note he has had an incredible season in 2022, winning many championships in a row, and that he has the self-discipline to put in early morning training sessions, to sacrifice social activities in exchange for more practice, and to power through sore muscles and exhaustion – while still remaining humble and showing excellent sportsmanship.

Luca Lin won 1st place at the 2022 NZKWF National Championships, and only a month later competed in sanda at the 8th World Junior Wushu Championships in Indonesia where he fought bravely to round 16. His coaches note, Luca Lin is the current best sanda athlete in New Zealand in his weight category. He has been training with serious intent for only one year and has seen rapid development by being a diligent student practicing and applying sanda techniques, running every morning, and training every afternoon. He has met many strong international competitors who are more experienced and well-trained than he is but he still courageously faced up against them. The 8th World Junior Wushu Championships was his first and last opportunity to compete as a junior athlete. He has much more potential to improve and excel in the sport of sanda.

Despite his young age, Davit Vardanyan has won many national and international sanda titles. In 2018 he placed 2nd at the Eurasian Wushu Kungfu Stars Cup in Armenia, and 1st place at the Wushu International Championships, which he won again with another gold medal in 2019. In 2021 and 2022 he took 1st place in the Batumi Open International Wushu Tournament in Batumi, Georgia. In 2022 he won a bronze medal at the 8th World Junior Wushu Championships in Indonesia. His coaches note that Davit is a true devotee of sports, an athlete with unbreakable will, and a great example for his friends who practice wushu, not only for the victories that he recorded in sanda, but also for his fine qualities of friendliness and sportsmanship.

Yu Hong Leung became interested in sanda when he was 13 years old, and began as a professional sanda athlete at 14. He entered Hong Kong Wushu Sanda Team in 2019 and has been a full-time athlete from 2020 until now. At his international debut, the 8th World Junior Wushu Championships in Indonesia, he won a bronze medal in sanda. His coaches note Yu Hong is a responsible and hardworking athlete who respects the masters. He loves sanda and devotes much time in training, and always promotes wushu by giving performances and demonstrations in communities.

Amin Alili started training in wushu sanda in 2012, and was a 5-time champion of Azerbaijan. In 2022 he won first place in the Azerbaijan Wushu Championships and he was also a gold medalist in an international tournament in Iran. Amin won a bronze medal at the 8th World Junior Wushu Championships in Tangerang, Indonesia in 2022, and his coaches believe he is most definitely a rising sanda star for Azerbaijan.

Tun Hung Guo became a member of the Macau Wushu Sanda Team in 2016. In 2022 he won a bronze medal in sanda at the 8th World Junior Wushu Championships in Indonesia. His coaches note that Tun Hung possesses strong perseverance, is inspired to fight for the honor of his region and country, and shows a strong martial spirit.