Wushu, also known as Chinese Kungfu, will make its first appearance as an official (正式的) sport at the 4th Youth Olympic Games in 2022.
The IWUF made applications (申请) to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2001, 2008 and 2011, but failed. The third application made it to the final voting (投票) but missed out once again.
Over the years, both the IWUF and Chinese Wushu Association (CWA) have done a lot to make progress with strong support from the General Administration of Sport of China (国家体育总局). The Administration offers technical support, often sending experts or teachers to help their Wushu training camps.
Every year, many local Wushu groups are sent abroad to put on Wushu shows, trying to improve the influence of Wushu in foreign countries. Studies show that, today, about 120 million people are interested in Wushu around the world.
Finally, China got Wushu accepted as an official Olympic sport in January, 2020, which helps to make it more international.
They're men's and women's Changquan and men's and women's Taijiquan.
A. The first two applications were refused at the very beginning. B. A total of 48 athletes (运动员) from across the world will compete in four Wushu events. C. It's a breakthrough (突破) for the International Wushu Federation (IWUF). D. It also provides a great deal of Wushu equipment (设备) for free. E. Through their efforts, Wushu has become increasingly popular across the world. |