At the 12th National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities of the People’s Republic of China held in Sanya, south China’s Hainan Province, Guizhou Province clinched the gold medal in the standard crossbow mixed team final on Monday. Three-time participant Liu Xingyu secured the victory for Guizhou by scoring nine points on his last shot, bringing the team’s overall score to 191 points.
Crossbow shooting is a traditional sport popular among the Miao and Yi ethnic groups in southwest China, particularly in the provinces of Yunnan and Guizhou, as well as in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Historically used for hunting, the crossbow has now become a competitive and recreational sport.
“I’m from the Miao ethnic group,” Liu told CGTN Sports Scene’s Zhu Mandan. “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. “Competing in this event promotes cultural and sporting exchanges among ethnic minority groups,” he noted. “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.”
This victory marks Guizhou’s second title in crossbow shooting at this year’s games, following Wang Renai’s win in the traditional crossbow men’s standing position final on Sunday.
Reference(s):
Guizhou win standard crossbow mixed team gold at National Ethnic Games
cgtn.com
