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Wushu battles for place at Olympics
China Daily
Updated: 2008-08-23 07:47
You've seen it in the Matrix. Bruce Lee was its most famous proponent. An animated panda tickled audiences this year. Now practitioners hope that wushu, more commonly known as kungfu, will be contested at the Olympics.
Wushu's backers are trying to cram the millennia-old art on to a packed Olympics calendar, arguing a growing following. They claim a victory for a sport that for the first time held an unofficial competition on the sidelines of the Games in Beijing.
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Zhao Qingjian of China performs during men's Daoshu (broadsword play) of the Beijing 2008 Wushu Competition in Beijing, China, Aug. 21, 2008. Zhao Qingjian ranked first in men's Daoshu competition with a score of 9.85. [Xinhua]
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China's growing clout, hit films such as Kung Fu Panda and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and international stars Jet Li and Jackie Chan have helped the martial art lure devotees from Vietnam to Sweden.
"They have boxing at the Olympics. They have taekwondo. This is all that in one package," Sarah Ponce, 32, said after a sparring match. She took three months off her job to train and paid her own way from the United States to China.
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Andrzej Topczewski of Poland performs during men's Daoshu (broadsword play) of the Beijing 2008 Wushu Competition in Beijing, China, Aug. 21, 2008. Andrzej Topczewski ranked 9th in men's Daoshu competition with a score of 9.25.[Xinhua]
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But it might take more than a decade before wushu's signature whirling kicks and lightning punches will be seen at the Games.
Sports for the 2012 Olympics have been decided and wushu is not shortlisted for 2016. Its advocates are holding out for 2020.
The Games in Beijing showcased 28 sports. In London, the number will fall to 26 after the exit of baseball and softball. And a slew of other sports will be vying for a place in 2016, such as squash, rugby, golf and karate.
The International Wushu Federation is one of the IOC's 31 recognized federations along with cricket, golf, karate, rugby and squash, meaning a spot on the program is not impossible.
