Last updated at:
(Beijing Time) Thursday, October 10, 2002
WFA Pledges Active
Support to Wushu's Olympic Bid
The
Wushu Federation of Asia (WFA) has decided to give active support to the
International Wushu Federation (IWUF) in its bid to push Wushu, the
Chinese martial arts also known as Kung Fu, into the 2008 Beijing
Olympic Games, aWFA press release said Thursday in Busan.
The Wushu Federation of Asia (WFA) has decided to give active support to
the International Wushu Federation (IWUF) in its bid to push Wushu, the
Chinese martial arts also known as Kung Fu, into the 2008
Beijing Olympic Games, aWFA press release said
Thursday in Busan.
"The WFA shall actively assist the IWUF in bidding for inclusion in the
2008
Olympic Games," said the press release basedon
a decision made by the WFA Executive Committee here on the eve of the
14th Asian Games Wushu competition, which started on Thursday morning.
"Wushu's bidding for the Olympic Games is entering into its final and
critical period," said the release.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is expected to make a final
decision on the fate of Wushu and several other sports seeking Olympic
entry at a plenary meeting in Mexico City in late November.
Those WFA member associations which have the IOC members in their own
country or region shall lobby them for their support to Wushu's
inclusion in the 2008 Olympic Games, said the WFA.
Meanwhile, "each member association of WFA shall fully carry out doping
control measures with the IOC and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA),
including to advise the athletes of their requirements to undergo drug
inspection as required by WADA," it added.
Each member association of WFA was also requested to provide bythe end
of this month the namelist and contact details of their registered
athletes to the WFA Secretariat Office in Tokyo, Japan for reporting to
the IOC via the IWUF.
With 77 member associations that represent tens of millions of Wushu
practitioners worldwide, the IWUF started its campaign in late 1998 to
make Wushu an Olympic event. Countries with large Wushu loving
populations like China and Japan have earnestly hopedthis could be
achieved at the 2008 Olympic Games.
Earlier this month, the Olympic Council of Asia, Asia's supreme sports
governing body, also called on all its members to support Wushu's
Olympic bid. Wushu has been listed as a medal event at four consecutive
Asian Games since 1990.
The WFA on Wednesday also elected its new executive committee for a term
from 2002 to 2006, the press release added.
Li Zhijian from China was re-elected President of the WFA Executive
Committee as Ian C.W.Fok of Chinese Hong Kong, Francis Chan Tek Lok of
the Philippines and Hoang Vinh Giang of Vietnam were elected vice
presidents. Kyuhei Muraoka of Japan was elected secretary general of the
executive committee.
