The 10th World Junior Wushu Championships opened in north China's Tianjin Municipality on Wednesday, showcasing the growing international popularity of this traditional form of martial arts at a competitive level.

The competition, running from March 26 to 30, has attracted 666 young athletes who are competing in three age categories: children, juniors, and youth.

A total of 83 gold medals will be awarded across 66 events in taolu, or performative routines, and 17 events in sanda, or full-contact combat.

This edition serves as a preparation and squad selection for the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games, as well as a platform to evaluate the outcomes of training programs.

In addition to young athletes from across China, many also hail from around the world, with a total of 78 countries and regions represented.

"I've been practicing for six years now. And I love Wushu, because it's so big, it's so variable. Also I [can] make some international friends and connections," said German athlete Benjamin.

"It's really amazing [that I] can compete with others from around the world. And it's a very good experience. I'm very happy," said a participant named Patricio from Argentina.

Organizers have offered a warm welcome to these global guests, celebrating the growing popularity of the sport outside of China.

"It's wonderful to see more and more people participating in and enjoying Wushu. Wushu is not only a sport, but also a language of cross-border communication. When they return to their respective countries, they can take this unique memory of Chinese culture with them," said Wu Jing, ambassador of the International Wushu Federation.

Efforts are also being made to enhance competitiveness. For the first time, an innovative preliminary-final system was used in three popular taolu events -- men's youth changquan, men's youth gunshu, and women's youth changquan -- in which athletes competed in preliminary groups and the top 12 from each group will advance to the finals.