Kaelin Cox is looking forward to the rare opportunity of showcasing his talents in front of the home crowd again when Bermuda Sanshou Association host the Bermuda Open Wushu Championships at Dellwood Middle School today.

The reigning grand champion and elite athlete is competing in the Taolu southern fist, southern broadsword and southern staff disciplines and, as always, is determined to put his best foot forward when he steps back on to the mat.

“I feel good and confident in my art, so going in I feel like it’s going to be a good showing for my students and also giving people of Bermuda a first hand look of what I’ve been training and competing in over the past couple of months,” Cox told The Royal Gazette.

The annual championships will feature 40 local and international athletes ranging in ages from five to over 60 competing in various Wushu disciplines.

Also competing in the event is fellow elite athlete Krista Dyer, who accompanied Cox at last month’s Wushu World Championships in Brazil.

The experienced women’s kick-boxer is equally as excited to showcase her talents again on home soil and is especially looking forward to helping to groom the next generation of local Wushu athletes who will be battling for honours at the championships.

“The purpose of having this championships every year is to get some exposure for lots of us students, especially the younger students, to get them exposed to formal competition,” Dyer said.

“I am looking forward to showing some advanced technique and experience and being an example for some of the younger students to show them the ropes so in future when they step on to the Letai [mat], possibly in overseas competition, they will know exactly what to do and how to perform.”

Among the island’s promising up and coming wushu athletes competing in the championships are National Junior Athlete Scholarship Programme awardee Muryah Swan and Performance Pathways Scholarship recipient Geraldine Sidders.

Garon Wilkinson, the Bermuda Sanshou Association president and coach, has urged the public to attend what promises to be some exciting competition.

“I am really looking forward to the championships and we urge folks to come out when they can to support the event,” he said.

“It’s going to be some first-class performances on Saturday between the hours of 10am and 4pm and admission is only ten dollars.

“There’s a range of athletes with the youngest being five years old and the oldest over 60 years old, so quite a range in ages and levels to be contested.”