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Wushu eyes slot for 2024 Olympics
After failing in its effort to feature in the 2020 Olympics, the International Wushu Federation (IWUF) hopes to bid again in 2024, according to the federationâs executive vice president, Anthony Goh
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fter failing in its effort to feature in the 2020 Olympics, the International Wushu Federation (IWUF) hopes to bid again in 2024, according to the federation's executive vice president, Anthony Goh.
'We have to undertake another bidding process,' Goh told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of a meeting in Jakarta on Thursday.
Goh was in Jakarta to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Wushu Indonesia (WI) chairman Supandi Kusuma concerning the appointment of Indonesia as host of the 13th World Wushu Championships, which is scheduled to run from Nov. 13 to 18.
He said more effort was needed to done to improve the chances of wushu being included in an Olympic games.
'We need to develop regions where wushu is less developed. We have to feature more often in multi-international games, like the African Games and the Pan American Games,' he said.
He said wushu would be feature at the African Games in August, as well as the 2019 Pan American Games.
The sport has also been featured in the Asian Games, with Indonesia taking home the gold in the last competition in 2014.
.Wushu was on the shortlist of eight sports competing for inclusion in the 2020 Olympics. The other six were wrestling, baseball/softball, squash, karate, roller sports, climbing and wakeboarding.
In May 2013, it was announced that just three sports remained in contention: squash, baseball/softball, and wrestling. The others sports were cut.
In September, the International Olympic Ccommittee (IOC) selected wrestling to be included in the Olympic program for 2020 and 2024.
'We are a newer and younger sport,' Goh said, explaining the failed bid. 'We are also restricted by the rules in which the Olympics allow just 28 sports ['¦],' he added.
Iwan Kwok, secretary-general of Wushu Indonesia, said Indonesia would try to finish in the top-three in the next championship, which will feature 56 events.
'We are proud to have been appointed host for the world championship. Given the operational budget, we hope for financial [support] from the government. Indonesia wushu has been able to flourish in international competitions,' he said.
The June Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Singapore will be a test for athletes ahead of the world championship. Training camp, held in China, begins this month.
