Wushu "will bid
again for inclusion in the Olympics and is banking on increased
participation in Africa and the Americas" to aid its chances after
previously missing out to wrestling, according to Patrick Johnston of REUTERS. Int'l Wushu Federation (IWUF) Exec VP Anthony Goh said, "We have to undertake another
bidding process." Goh said that "the Chinese
martial art, which features regularly in Asian multi-sports events like
the Asian Games and the Southeast Asian Games, needed to expand its reach." Goh: "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." Wushu "was among eight
sports competing for inclusion in the 2020 Olympics" but missed out on
the IOC's shortlist of three. Wushu
"could still feature at the 2020 Games in Tokyo, however, after the IOC
overhauled a number of rules in a December vote to allow sports an
easier avenue into future Olympics." In
January, billiards and snooker "launched a surprise move to take part in
the Tokyo Games." Baseball and softball "are the favorites for inclusion,
however, given the sport's popularity in Japan, while karate is also thought to be a front runner" (REUTERS, 3/6).
