Basma Lachkar

{{Infobox sportsperson

| image = Brunei National Day 2024 14.jpg

| caption = Basma in 2024

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2003|3|25|df=yes}}

| birth_place =

| education = {{ubil|Chung Hwa Middle School|Jerudong International School}}

| alma_mater = Universiti Teknologi Brunei

| occupation = Martial artist, athlete

| height = 1.6 m

| weight =

| sport = Wushu

| event = Taijiquan, Taijijian

| birth_name = Basma binti Lachkar{{Cite web |date=2024-06-01 |title=UTB CELEBRATES THE RETURN OF GOLD MEDALIST AND PARTICIPANTS FROM THE 21ST ASEAN UNIVERSITY GAMES |url=https://www.utb.edu.bn/news/utb-celebrates-the-return-of-gold-medalist-and-participants-from-the-21st-asean-university-games/ |access-date=2024-08-18 |website=Universiti Teknologi Brunei}}

| nickname =

| team = Brunei Wushu Team

| coach = Li Hui{{Cite book |url=http://www.belia-sukan.gov.bn/Terbitan%20Docs/18thasiangamejakarta.pdf |title=BRUNEI DARUSSALAM CONTINGENT |publisher=Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports |year=2018 |pages=19}}

| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Women's Wushu Taolu }}

{{MedalCountry | {{BRU}}}}

{{MedalGold|2024 Harbin|Taijiquan}}{{cite news|first=

|last=|title=2024 Asian University Wushu Championship|url=https://wfa-asia.org/uploads/ueditor/php/upload/file/20240904/1725440832630610.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwj-gNiztfiNAxXazDgGHUMQGqEQFnoECCYQAQ&sqi=2&usg=AOvVaw1LzLdJzVm7RRM-NEIhhY9h

|publisher=wfa-asia.org|date=4 September 2024|access-date=|language=en}}

}}

Basma binti Lachkar (born 25 March 2003) is a Bruneian wushu taolu athlete of Moroccan descent specialising in taijiquan.{{cite web |title=Wushu LACHKAR Basma - The 19th Asian Games |url=https://info.hangzhou2022.cn/en/results/wushu/athlete-profile-n2018266-lachkar-basma.htm |website=Asian Games 2022 |publisher=Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee |access-date=1 October 2023}}

Early life and education

Basma was born to a Moroccan father and Bruneian mother. She attended Chung Hwa Middle School, Bandar Seri Begawan taking up wushu initially as a school co-curricular activity to join her brother, Walid Lachkar.{{cite news |last1=Lee |first1=David |title=Brunei's Basma Lachkar creates history with wushu silver at Asian Games |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/brunei-s-basma-lachkar-creates-history-with-wushu-silver-at-asian-games |access-date=1 October 2023 |work=The Straits Times |date=24 September 2023 |language=en}} In October 2022, Hajah Rosnah binti Awang Tengah, her mother, passed away.{{Cite web |date=2023-09-25 |title=Basma dedicates Asian Games silver medal to late mother |url=https://www.brusports.com/2023/09/25/basma-dedicates-asian-games-silver-medal-to-late-mother/ |access-date=2023-10-26 |website=BruSports News |language=en-GB}} Notably, she graduated Jerudong International School (JIS) in class 2022,{{Cite web |date=2023-09-25 |title=We are thrilled to share that #JISAlumni Basma Lachkar (Class of 2022) won a Silver Medal in the Women's Taijiquan and Taijijian All-Round event at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CxnS8KChpic/ |access-date=2023-10-26 |website=jisbrunei}} and Sports School from 2016 to 2019.{{Cite web |date=2017-08-26 |title=Welcome home - Basma Lachkar, Year9A Sports School student doing Brunei proud with Silver Medal in 2017 SEA Games' Taijiquan event. |url=https://twitter.com/MoEducation_BRN/status/901299065295560707 |access-date=2023-10-26 |website=MoEducation Brunei}}{{Cite web |date=2023-11-09 |title=Driveway tribute to Brunei’s wushu star » Borneo Bulletin Online |url=https://borneobulletin.com.bn/driveway-tribute-to-bruneis-wushu-star/ |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=Driveway tribute to Brunei’s wushu star |language=en-US}} She is enrolled in Universiti Teknologi Brunei as of 1 July 2024, where she is studying for a BSc (Hons) in Communication.

Career

Basma would eventually become part of Brunei's wushu national team which has been under Chinese coach Li Hui since 2006.{{cite news |title=Brunei pays tribute to Chinese coach after historic Asian Games silver medal in Wushu |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2023/09/29/brunei-pays-tribute-to-chinese-coach-after-historic-asian-games-silver-medal-in-wushu |access-date=1 October 2023 |work=The Star |agency=Xinhua |date=29 September 2023 |language=en}} In the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on 22 August 2017, she became victorious in the Women's Compulsory Taijiquan finals of the 29th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games with a score of 9.54 points.{{Cite web |title=Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council |url=http://www.bruneiolympic.org/?t=news/index&p=news/2017/20170823d |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=www.bruneiolympic.org}} She is 1.6 meters tall in 2023. She hasn't become much taller since 2018, the year she participated in her maiden Asian Games as a 15-year-old.{{Cite news |last=Correspondent |first=David LeeSports |date=2023-09-24 |title=Brunei’s Basma Lachkar creates history with wushu silver at Asian Games |language=en |work=The Straits Times |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/brunei-s-basma-lachkar-creates-history-with-wushu-silver-at-asian-games |access-date=2024-01-02 |issn=0585-3923}} She did not clinch a podium finish in her usual tai chi event due to inexperience.{{cite news |date=26 September 2023 |title=Basma becomes big hit for tiny Brunei after historic silver in wushu |language=en |work=The Star |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/others/2023/09/26/basma-becomes-big-hit-for-tiny-brunei-after-historic-silver-in-wushu |access-date=1 October 2023}}

Basma was part of the first group from Brunei to travel to the 19th Sukma Games 2018, which took place from 12 to 22 September in Perak.{{Cite web |title=Wushu athletes first to depart for 19th Sukma Games |url=https://borneo363.rssing.com/chan-61976226/article6924.html |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=borneo363.rssing.com}} On 30 November 2019, in the Philippines, she had the honor of carrying the Brunei flag at the 30th SEA Games opening ceremony.{{Cite web |date=2019-11-24 |title=SEA Games: Basma honoured to be Brunei's flag-bearer |url=https://www.brusports.com/2019/11/24/sea-games-basma-honoured-to-be-bruneis-flag-bearer/ |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=BruSports News |language=en-GB}} In the women's taijiquan event, Basma, the youngest competitor in her division, won silver for the second time in a row at the SEA Games with a score of 9.55.{{Cite web |title=Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council |url=http://www.bruneiolympic.org/?t=news/index&p=news/2019/20191202a |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=www.bruneiolympic.org}}{{Cite web |title=Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council |url=https://www.bruneiolympic.org/?t=news/index&p=news/2019/20191204a |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=www.bruneiolympic.org}}

Competing in the tai chi event, Basma would set several milestones for her country's national wushu program. At the 2022 World Games in Birmingham in the United States, she would win the first ever gold medal for Brunei in the tournament.{{cite news |title=Basma cops Brunei's first gold in World Games |url=https://borneobulletin.com.bn/basma-cops-gold-in-bruneis-first-world-games-medal/ |access-date=1 October 2023 |work=Borneo Bulletin |date=13 July 2022}}{{subscription required}}{{cite web |title=Basma Lachkar |url=https://sites.ungeneva.org/not-a-womans-job-2023/en/permanent-missions/basma-lachkar.html |website=Not a Woman’s Job?:Breaking Barriers in Sports |publisher=United Nations |access-date=1 October 2023 |language=en}} With a total score of 19.040 points, she placed first on the podium in the women's combined taijiquan and taijijian event.{{Cite web |title=Basma Lachkar |url=https://sites.ungeneva.org/not-a-womans-job-2023/en/permanent-missions/basma-lachkar.html |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=sites.ungeneva.org |language=en}}

In the following 2022 edition in Huangzhou, Basma would see success when she bagged Brunei's first ever Asian Games silver medalist in any sports.{{cite news |title=Wushu star Basma seals silver in Asian Games|url=https://borneobulletin.com.bn/wushu-star-basma-seals-silver-in-asian-games/ |access-date=1 October 2023 |work=Borneo Bulletin |date=24 September 2023}} She is the Asian Games' flag bearer for Brunei as well. She achieved 9.756 points for a total of 19.502, which was sufficient for a silver medal. Additionally, it was her nation's first medal at the Asian Games since Tong Kit Siong in 2002.

In the women's taijijian competition at the World University Games, Basma came in second. Silver was hers when she scored a total of 9.680 points at the Chengbei Gymnasium in Chengdu.{{Cite web |date=2023-07-30 |title=Basma wins silver at World University Games |url=https://www.brusports.com/2023/07/30/basma-wins-silver-at-world-university-games/ |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=BruSports News |language=en-GB}} From this, she also became the first recipient of Brunei's special sports scholarship program.

She beat Japan's Hibiki Isono, who scored 9.5003, to take first place with a score of 9.510 after her performance. Following her victory in the women's taijijian event on 20 June 2024, she finished first on the podium at the Asian University Wushu Championship.{{Cite web |date=2024-06-20 |title=Basma scores gold in China wushu competition |url=https://borneobulletin.com.bn/basma-scores-gold-in-china-wushu-competition/ |access-date=2024-06-22 |website=borneobulletin.com.bn |language=en-US}} She defeated six other competitors to win the gold medal in Harbin, China.{{Cite web |date=2024-06-20 |title=Gold for Basma at Asian University Wushu Championship |url=https://www.brusports.com/2024/06/20/gold-for-basma-at-asian-university-wushu-championship/ |access-date=2024-07-29 |website=BruSports News |language=en-GB}} In the women's optional tianjiquan category, she won her second gold medal with a score of 9.490, defeating Chen Yuxing of China by a score of 0.004.{{Cite web |last=Kon |first=James |date=2024-06-22 |title=Basma wins second gold in China wushu tournament |url=https://borneobulletin.com.bn/basma-wins-second-gold-in-china-wushu-tournament/ |access-date=2024-07-29 |website=Borneo Bulletin Online |language=en-US}}

On 27 June 2024, she extended her winning streak by capturing the gold medal in the women's tai chi competition at the 2024 ASEAN University Games, which were hosted in Malang, Indonesia. Basma's exceptional technical skill allowed her to get a top score of 9.486 in women's tai chi.{{Cite web |last=Kon |first=James |date=2024-06-28 |title=Basma on winning streak at ASEAN wushu competition |url=https://borneobulletin.com.bn/basma-on-winning-streak-at-asean-wushu-competition/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240729121756/https://borneobulletin.com.bn/basma-on-winning-streak-at-asean-wushu-competition/ |archive-date=2024-07-29 |access-date=2024-07-29 |website=Borneo Bulletin Online |language=en-US}}

Honours and recognitions

A road at Kampong Pulaie Sports School would officially be renamed Basma Drive in November 2023.

For the 2023 World Games Athlete of the Year, Basma has received a nomination. This comes after she won the women's taijiquan and taijijian combined event in the World Games 2022.{{Cite web |last=Yee Chun Leong |first= |date=2024-01-10 |title=Basma shortlisted for The World Games Athlete of the Year |url=https://www.brusports.com/2024/01/10/basma-shortlisted-for-the-world-games-athlete-of-the-year/ |access-date=2024-06-22 |website=BruSports News |language=en-GB}}

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah presented Basma with the Excellent Youth Award on the 19th National Youth Day.{{Cite web |date=2024-08-07 |title=19th National Youth Day Celebration |url=https://www-pmo-gov-bn.translate.goog/Lists/2022%20PMO%20News/NDispForm.aspx?ID=1096&InitialTabID=Ribbon.Read&source=/&_x_tr_sl=ms&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc |access-date=2024-08-08 |website=Prime Minister's Office}}