Bruce Lee statues unveiled in Bosnia and Hong Kong

The rub about a 12-hour shift [and perhaps Todd can testify to this as well, saving Toronto from the licks of hot flame] is that by the time you get home you’re just too blasted tired to type up anything that night. Last night was the case and I am a day late updating our watch on the Bruce Lee statue story we’ve been covering [here and here]. Two statues were unveiled. One in the town of Mostar, Bosnia on Saturday. The second was reveiled on Sunday on Hong Kong’s Avenue of Stars.

The statue in Mostar carried a special meaning for its organizers and the people of Mostar since “The city witnessed fierce fighting between rival ethnic factions in the 1992-95 war. It remains split with Bosnian Muslims, Croats and Serbs still deeply divided. Lee was chosen by organisers as a symbol of the fight against ethnic divisions. “This does not mean that Bruce Lee will unite us, because people are different and cannot be united and we will always be Muslims, Serbs or Croats,” said Veselin Gatalo of the youth group Urban Movement Mostar. “But one thing we all have in common is Bruce Lee.” Unfortunately, it didn’t take that long for dinks to disgrace the statue. Only hours after the unveiling vandels stole the nun chuk from the statues right hand. “Once again we’ve shown what Balkan savageness is!” lamented another in disbelief.

The statue in Hong Kong was unveiled without incident. Robert Lee, Bruces brother, was in attendance at the ceremony and spoke to the crowd. “I think he really deserves this.” He said one of the legacies of his brother was his message of individual expression. “He always wanted to tell people what a person can do to be able to express himself or herself (to) the fullest,” Robert Lee said.

As far as the statues go I have to say that I like the Hong Kong more simply for the detail and texture of it. The Bosnian one is nice and shiney but I cannot help but think that a tiny version of this would appear on top of a trophy of a Bruce Lee Invitational Tournament had he been alive today. But both countries are to be commended for their show of support for one the greatest martial artists that ever lived.

story via BBCNews here and here and Yahoo News here and here.