SEOUL (Dispatches) – Iranian wushu practitioners have managed to clinch six more medals at the ninth edition of Asian Junior Wushu Championships in South Korea, raising the country’s total medal count at the continental sports event to 11.
Young Iranian sportswoman Nahid Pourshabanan put a commendable display of strength and skills in her march to the final competition of Nandao form in the girls’ 15-18-year-old section on Tuesday.
The Iranian athlete got 9.59 points to grab the gold medal. A Vietnamese contestant managed to accumulate 9.55 points and stood second. A competitor from Hong Kong racked up 9.53 points to claim the third spot.
Additionally, Mohammad Ali Mojiri pocketed 9.54 points to claim the bronze medal in the Nandao form of Taolu competitions in the boys’ 15-18-year-old category.
A contestant from Hong Kong notched up 9.57 points to collect the silver. He followed a representative from Macau with 9.61 points.
Nandao is a kind of sword that is used mostly in contemporary Chinese wushu exercises and forms.
Nandao is mostly used two-handed due to its larger amount of weight as compared to the "northern broadsword," or Beidao. It also has a large metal cross guard useful in deflecting blows and hooking the opponent's weapon.
Niloufar Mokhtarpour also claimed the bronze medal in the Changquan form of girls’ 9-12-year-old division with 9.02 points. Silver medal went to a participant from Japan with 9.06 points. A Singaporean athlete notched 9.14 points to pick up the gold medal.
On Monday and the second day of the competitions at Park Chung Hee Gymnasium in Gumi City, Mojiri, Pourshabanan and Zahra Kiani could clinch three bronze medals in the Nanquan and  Jianshu forms.
Nanquan usually requires less flexibility and has fewer acrobatics than Changquan, but it also requires greater leg stability and power generation through leg and hip coordination.
Jianshu is a form of Taolu, where the participant uses a sword as the main element of the routine.
The ninth edition of Asian Junior Wushu Championships kicked off on September 14, and will run through September 21, 2017.