Imphal, July 5 : Youth in Manipur were recently given the benefit of being trained by a Chinese Wushu (martial) expert Liang Dong here.

The eight-day camp was primarily used to brush up their technical skills.

The camp was held at the Khuman Lampak Sports Complex.

The idea of procuring the services of a foreign coach for the Wushu players of Manipur was floated by the Wushu Association of Manipur. The Association approached the Directorate of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of Manipur, for financial assistance in this regard.

Since Wushu has originated from China, it was felt that Manipuri Youth needed an expert from that country to brush up their skills.

Liang Dong, who is attached with the Beijing Sports University stressed that Indian Wushu players needed to be better prepared to make any impact on the international stage.

"I think that Indian Wushu players need to practice the basic moments like jumping moments and some rhythmic moments more," stressed Dong.

The players felt that coaching by foreign coaches would not only improve their skills, but will also put them at par with international Wushu players.

Ng. Toshibala, an Indian Wushu player who was a gold medalist at the SAARC Games 2006 held at Colombo, Sri Lanka, further accentuated this point.

"If we take regular coaching under this Chinese coach, I hope that all the players not only from Manipur but also from India, can develop a lot and their level can reach international level," he said.

Wushu, a full-contact sport, is derived from traditional Chinese martial arts and originated in China after 1949.

ANI