China Ambassador Cup Wushu C'ship ends on a note of sporting friendship

The eighth China Ambassador Cup Wushu Championship ended in Dhaka on Sunday with a renewed pledge to deepen sporting ties between Bangladesh and China.
 
The championship, held at the Shaheed Suhrawardy Indoor Stadium in Mirpur, brought together athletes across service and civil categories, with the competition also serving as a platform to unearth fresh talent from the grassroots.

State Minister for Youth and Sports Md Aminul Haque, the chief guest at the closing ceremony, said Bangladesh was placing greater emphasis on "sports diplomacy" to strengthen its relationship with China.

"China is a major centre of martial arts. We want to take Wushu forward alongside Taekwondo, Karate and Judo," the State Minister said, adding that the government was working to secure greater Chinese cooperation for the broader development of sport in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Wushu Federation General Secretary Md Dildar Hasan Dilu said nurturing talent at the grassroots was the tournament's principal objective.

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen, federation president Saiful Islam Bhuiyan and tournament committee chairman SM Shahidul Islam Bhuiyan were among those present at the closing ceremony.

Bangladesh Army emerged champions in the Jiti Service event, with Border Guard Bangladesh finishing runners-up. In the Jiti Civil event, Chinese Wushu School of Cox's Bazar claimed the title, followed by Rajshahi District Sports Organisation.

Modern Martial Art Training Centre won the Display event, while Rajshahi District Sports Organisation finished second.

Bangladesh Army completed a clean sweep of the Display Service Team and Duilian Service Team events, with BGB taking runners-up honours in both.

Chinese Wushu School of Cox's Bazar also claimed the Duilian Civil title, while Abdul Jalil Chowdhury Martial Art Academy finished runners-up.

The championship thus brought the curtain down on another chapter of Bangladesh's Wushu calendar, but with its wider message extending beyond the medals, towards stronger sporting exchanges between the two countries.