From October 24th to 27th, The DKU Tai Chi Varsity Team, with 10 student-athletes, DKU Tai Chi Varsity Team participates in the 15th China Handan International Tai Chi Competition in Handan, Hebei, China. It is the first time that a DKU Varsity Team participates in the international-level game. They completed their events with barely no flaws. After three days of intense competition, they won 4 second-place awards, 6 third-place awards, and 2 students received the “Wushu Athlete Spirit Award.”
The competition was co-hosted by the Wushu Management Center of the General Administration of Sports of China, Chinese Wushu Association, Hebei Provincial Sports Bureau, and Handan Municipal People’s Government. The event attracted more than 1,700 participants from 167 Tai Chi teams, both domestic and international.
DKU Tai Chi Varsity Team in the competition
Aside from the competition, the DKU Tai Chi Varsity team visit the birthplaces of Yang-style Tai Chi and Wu-style Tai Chi. They had the opportunity to study and understand the culture, history, and dissemination of Tai Chi on-site at the founders’ residences and practice grounds. Meanwhile, the DKU Tai Chi team, embracing a spirit of openness, engaged in friendly exchanges with other teams. They released a short video of the event on the Tai Chi platform, demonstrating the image of DKU to Tai Chi athletes from across the country who participated in the competition.
DKU Tai Chi Varsity Team in front of the birthplace of Yang-style Tai Chi Founder
Varsity Member Ethan Mills expressed his gratitude towards the event organizers and the Athletics Department of Duke Kunshan University for their support. He said, “Before coming to China, I could not imagine having the opportunity to experience such Chinese culture, to join such an exciting competition. Everyone I met was very friendly. It truly is a great opportunity. I hope to continue improving my Tai Chi skills and deepen my understanding of Chinese Wu Shu, and to participate in more competitions.”
Zhaoxuan Li, the president of the DKU Tai Chi Club, sincerely said, “We watched a performance by a young girl on the spot and were all shocked by her exquisite skills. Actually, the competition was very challenging. In our category, aside from us, all were professional athletes. To have achieved such results is fortunate, but this also made us realize the gap between us and them. This is a great exercise opportunity, we need to continue working hard.”
The Head Coach Yan Quanwei believes: “Through this event, the team members have not only enhanced their technique and experience in Tai Chi competitions, but it also expanded their horizons, realizing the gap between themselves and high-level Tai Chi athletes, which reinforced their dedication to learning and spreading the Tai Chi. Beyond the results of the competition, a further source of pride is that the DKU Tai Chi team was able to demonstrate the excellence skills and healthy image of DKU students in the presence of 167 teams from all over the country.”
Ready to Take on Your Own Challenge?
