BEIJING (AFP) – Hollywood martial arts star Jackie Chan has called for wushu, better known outside China as kung fu, to be recognised as an official Olympic sport, state media reported Sunday.
“I love wushu a lot and I would love to see it included in future Olympic Games,” Chan, who was in Beijing to record a theme song for an upcoming combat event, was quoted as saying by the official China Daily newspaper.
The International Olympic Committee recognises wushu as a sport but has not included it as an official event in the Games, unlike other Asian martial arts such as taekwondo and judo that are now part of the global sports gathering.
However, the IOC allowed China to organise an international wushu tournament at the same time as the 2008 Beijing Games to showcase the sport -- an event that was attended by Jet Li, another Hollywood actor and kung fu star.
Chan explained that wushu’s many styles of fighting and different schools could have hindered its inclusion as an official Olympic sport, the report said.
“This makes it difficult for wushu to make a unified impression to international audiences,” he said.
Chan, who has put his martial arts skills to use in several blockbuster films, began practicing wushu as a child and says he still works on his moves daily, the report said.
– (AFP)
