Tokyo, June 23 (IANS) Wushu has been included in a shortlist of sports seeking to join the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The Tokyo Olympic Organising Committee accepted eight of the 26 sports that sought to be added to the 2020 Games, including a joint bid from baseball and softball. The seven others were bowling, karate, roller sports, sport climbing, squash, surfing and wushu, reports Xinhua.
The Tokyo Games organisers could further trim down the list before they submit the final list to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) by September 30. The IOC will vote on which events will be added to the 28 core sports at its Session in August ahead of next summer’s Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
After years of efforts to be added as an Olympic programme, Wushu, a traditional Chinese sport, finally has another chance after the Chinese failed to add it to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Chinese fans are pleased with the news and at the same time cautious about the sport’s Olympic future. But some are concerned that Wushu’s similarity with other combat sports like judo and taekwondo may well affect its chance.