The 10th Sanda World Cup in Jiangyin, China kicked off its thrilling showcase of the top sanda athletes in the world. The 10th SWC welcomes nearly 170 participants including team officials from 26 countries and regions.The elite biennial competition, which offers prize money to the champions, is organized by the Chinese Wushu Association under the auspices of the International Wushu Federation.
Day 1 – Story Highlights
•Action kicked off at the Pegasus Watertown Sports Stadium in Jiangyin as the world’s most elite sanda fighters took to the leitai in a quest for gold and glory. Fighters from China, Iran and Vietnam have traditionally dominated the top of the podium, and at this sanda showdown they showed off their full arsenal to the delight of cheering crowds.
•China’s female sanda fighters once again demonstrated why, pound for pound, they are the most dominant and lethal full-contact force in the women’s sanda world. Danfeng Liu, 56kg, and Hailan Zhu, 70kg, both advanced to the next round, and Mengyue Chen, 52Kg, easily won her semifinal bout against Brazil’s Edina Prado Camargo.
•Iran’s fierce female warriors are as much of a force to be reckoned with, and 65kg Sedigheh Dariaeivarkadeh dispatched her tough opponent from Bermuda with a series of lightning fast kicks and a flurry of punches rarely missing their mark. At 60kg, Soheila Mansourian Semiromi, sister of Iran’s famous top female fighting stars, decisively defeated the Swiss fighter to move into Wednesday’s finals.
•Vietnam’s sanda women also stood out, and all made their fighting talents shine bright on the leitai, winning 3 semifinals and promising action in the finals to be fast and furious. They showed off their lightning-fast speed in both kicks and punches, with a determined laser focus their upcoming opponents will need to match to win.
•The men’s competition was undeniably highlighted by the crowd favorite – the heavyweight competition – as China’s sanda superstar Xiang Ye, dispatched his opponent Nursultan Tursynkulov from Kazakstan with drama and force. All eyes were on the leitai as he dominated with a bevy of thunderous takedowns, devastating punches, and lethal kicks, which could be heard even in the stadium’s high seats. The crowd loved it, and we eagerly await Xiang Ye’s next thrilling fight.
•Other exciting fights included a hard-fought bout between Mexico’s Kevin Alan Gallardo Onofre as he bested Italian Fabio Gjoni in a 3-round bout; Filipino champ Carlos Baylon battled to win against Hio Lam Ku from Macao, China, and Dat Huynh Do of Vietnam defeated Italy’s tough fighter Manuel Di Carlo also in 3 rounds.
