In a thrilling display of skill and tradition, Guizhou Province clinched the gold medal in the standard crossbow mixed team final at the 12th National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities of the People's Republic of China. The event took place in Sanya, Hainan Province, on Monday.
Three-time participant Liu Xingyu played a pivotal role in securing the victory, scoring an impressive nine points with his final shot. His efforts contributed to Guizhou's total score of 191 points, marking their second title in this sport. Earlier on Sunday, Wang Renai also brought home gold by winning the traditional crossbow men's standing position final.
Crossbow shooting holds deep roots in the southwest Chinese provinces, including Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The Miao and Yi ethnic groups are renowned for their expertise in this event. Speaking to CGTN Sports Scene's Zhu Mandan, Liu shared, "I'm from the Miao ethnic group. We used to use the crossbow for hunting, but now we just use it for sporting events and as a recreational sport. Shooting a crossbow is more like archery, except that it has a trigger like a rifle."
Liu emphasized the importance of preserving his ancient culture through sports, stating, "Competing in this event promotes cultural and sporting exchanges among ethnic minority groups. This is a great opportunity to further develop traditional sports, so I'm very happy to be a part of this for the third time, and I hope there are many more to come."
Reference(s):
Guizhou win standard crossbow mixed team gold at National Ethnic Games
cgtn.com
