In 1972, Mudawi Omer Alibilal decided to focus more on collective trick-cycling and Chinese wushu, or martial arts.

"Mudawi Omer Alibilal had a flexible body, and a strong sense of balance. Also, he was a little leader in the first batch of trainees then and good at teaming up with others," says the 80-year-old Yao Jinmei. "I still remember Bruce Lee was his idol, and Alibilal often did a pretty good imitation of him in those years. And to study wushu well, he suffered a lot."

Actually, Bruce Lee is just one aspect of the acrobat's fondness for Chinese culture.

After Alibilal came back to Sudan in 1974, he served as instructor for the Sudan National Acrobatic Troupe, which was founded that same year.

He told China Daily he was a true believer in the Chinese educator Confucius' motto: "Teaching each student in accordance with their aptitudes." And he considers it the basic teaching principle in his daily work.

He encourages all his family members to connect with Chinese culture. For instance, they are loyal fans of Chinese TV dramas.

"The fantasy drama Journey to the West is my favorite, and I have watched it three times," he says. "But my wife's cup of tea is the 36-episode TV drama A Beautiful Daughter-in-law Era.

"My wife is delighted to see the tension between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law also exists in China. The drama is a good way to know young Chinese people's state of mind in modern times."

In 2009, the first Confucius Institute was founded at the University of Khartoum in Sudan. Alibilal saw it as a rare chance for his children to get a comprehensive understanding of China. Shortly thereafter, he sent his four sons to study there.

"My fourth son Elisr even mastered basic Chinese language in the institute. Now, he is 16 years old and studying at the prestigious Nanjing University in East China's Jiangsu province," Alibilal says. "He majored in Chinese language freshman year, as he is fond of exploring Chinese characters and he wants to find a job in Beijing after graduation."

Alibilal shares his son's appreciation for the capital city, as well.

"Beijing is the capital of China and a city filled with a strong art atmosphere and golden business opportunities. To be honest, I truly support his decision and feel proud of him," he said. Laughing, he added, "In the future, I also would like to send my little girl to study in China if possible."