No wushu at Beijing Olympics

2005-10-16 17:01

Beijing - Chinese martial arts, known as wushu, will not be part of the 2008 games in Beijing, the president of the International Olympic Committee said on Sunday.

"We are not introducing wushu into the Olympic program. It will not be an exhibition. Not at all," said Jacques Rogge. He was quoted by the official Xinhua news agency in Shanghai, where Rogge watched the Chinese Grand Prix.

But to comfort the Chinese organisers, who have been trying for the past decade to persuade the IOC to accept wushu as an official Olympic event, Rogge said there will be an international wushu competition organised by the Beijing Organising Committee of the 2008 Olympic Games.

He said wushu will be neither an exhibition event nor an Olympic sport.

Asked if there is any possibility of wushu's becoming a medal event in future Olympic Games beyond 2012, Rogge said: "No one can predict the future."

- AFP