-World Finals to be held in Singapore for the first time-
Singapore, 24 July 2013 – On 28 July, Singapore will transform into a global stage for kung fu exponents when it hosts the world finals of TVB8 International Chinese Kung Fu Championship. The championship which aims to promote Chinese martial arts worldwide, and to search for the next kung fu Star, will gather the best in Chinese martial arts to vie for the coveted title. Organised by Hong Kong’s leading broadcaster TVB, this inaugural championship will see eight countries participating in the final showdown in Singapore.
Nine contestants aged 17 to 49 were shortlisted for the Finals. These nine are from Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, United Kingdom and the U.S.A. Singapore will be represented by 17 year-old Yap Zheng Yan who won the StarHub Kung Fu Supernova held last month. Each contestant will present their kung fu skills to a panel of the judges in two rounds - fist sparring and use of weaponry.
The panel of judges is made up of three martial arts experts and two popular TVB artistes, Kate Tsui and Ruco Chan. The experts include Master Lau Ka Yung who had previously starred in renowned Kung Fu films such as Drunken Master 2 and Drunken Master 3, Master Li Fai, a former World Wushu Champion, and Master Fan Shao Huang, a celebrated martial arts actor, best known for his roles as “Jin Shanzhao” in Ip Man and Ip Man 2.
Both Kate Tsui and Ruco Chan had memorable fighting scenes in their roles as a police officer in Sniper Standoff (to be released on StarHub On Demand on 9 September, concurrent with Hong Kong’s telecast) and as a policeman in Brother’s Keeper respectively. Together, they will judge the contestants on stage presence, skills and the ability to capture the essence of Chinese martial arts.
“We are thrilled that the world finals of TVB8 International Chinese Kung Fu Championship will be held in Singapore this year. StarHub is pleased to be part of this sporting event with our longstanding partner, TVB, and to be the only broadcaster in Singapore to showcase this championship. We wish our Singapore representative Zheng Yan the very best, and hope he’ll impress both the judges and Singapore public!” said Ms Lee Soo Hui, Head of Media Business Unit, StarHub.
Mr Sherman Lee, Controller of International Business Division of TVBI added “We are excited to hold the inaugural kung fu championship in Singapore. Like our kung fu exponents, Singapore is a vibrant city bursting with drive and potential. It is thus the perfect platform for the participants to showcase their talents. We are also pleased that this event will be screened to Singapore viewers delivered via a superior network through our long-time partner, StarHub.”
Other than the champion who will walk away with USD5000, there will also be three winners in the following categories: Best Fist Performance, Best Weapon Performance and Special Jury Award.
The 2013 TVB8 International Kung Fu Championship will be held at The Coliseum, Resorts World Sentosa on 28 July from 6pm to 8pm. The event will be aired on TVB8 (StarHub TV Channel 829) on 10 August at 9pm, and on E City (StarHub TV Channel 111/825) on 17 August at 9.30pm. StarHub Kung Fu Supernova (Singapore audition) will be screened on E City on 8 August at 10pm.
