Indian wushathlete Aparna Dahiya won the gold medal in the women’s 52 kg category at the 11th Sanda World Cup held in Macau, China.
She defeated reigning world champion Thi Phuong Nga Ngo of Vietnam in straight sets in the final to secure India’s first gold medal of the tournament.
About the 11th Sanda World Cup
Organised by: International WushFederation (IWUF)
Competition Format: Elite international Sanda competition featuring top-ranked fighters from across the world.
What is Wushu?
Wushis a Chinese martial art and combat sport broadly divided into two disciplines:
Taolu
Performance-based discipline
Involves choreographed routines featuring jumps, kicks, punches, balances, and weapon techniques
Athletes are judged on precision, flexibility, and execution
Sanda (Sanshou)
Full-contact combat sport
Includes punching, kicking, throwing, wrestling, and defensive techniques
Similar to kickboxing combined with grappling techniques
India’s Performance in Wushu:
India has gradually emerged as a competitive nation in wushu, especially in the Sanda discipline.
Indian athletes have regularly won medals at:
Asian Games
World WushChampionships
South Asian Games
Sanda World Cups
Important Indian WushPlayers:;
Pooja Kadian:
First Indian to win a gold medal at the World WushChampionships in 2017
Recipient of the Arjuna Award 2018
Aparna Dahiya:
Silver medalist at the 2025 World WushChampionships
Gold medalist at the 2026 Sanda World Cup
International WushFederation (IWUF):
Established: 1990
Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland
Governing body for international wushcompetitions
Wushin Asian Games:
Wushhas been part of the Asian Games since 1990.
China has traditionally dominated the sport.
India has won multiple medals in Sanda events over the years.
Macau:
Macais a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China.
Known for hosting international sporting and cultural events.
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