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| Chinese ambassador Jing Quan paid a visit to the Philippine wushu team's training as the Philippines looks forward to next year's Wushu World Championships. Ivan Saldajeno |
MANILA—The Philippines is set to host next year's Wushu World Championships.
Chinese ambassador to the Philippines Jing Quan made the big announcement on Thursday when he paid a visit to the national wushu team's training inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
"Around 1,500 athletes will participate. That's a real good opportunity for us to promote wushu as a martial art. I hope that more and more people will like wushu," said Quan, himself a former wushu athlete.
In line with the upcoming Philippine hosting, Quan met with the Philippine Sports Commission officials, and the executive director, Guillermo Iroy, even escorted the 51-year-old diplomat to the national team practice at Rizal Memorial's wushu training area.
"We were talking about the importance of the sports exchange and what we can do, and we will renew a memorandum of agreement between China and the Philippines on how to work in the sports area," Quan further said.
"We want to revise and renew the memo."
He also expressed readiness to help if the PSC needs to.
"Any concern or issue, we can help. Let us know, and we will work. If we don't have that kind of resources, we will talk to Beijing," Quan vowed.
Asked for some more details about the upcoming World Wushu Championships, Wushu Federation of the Philippines president Julian Camacho revealed that the national sports association is looking to host the event at the soon-to-be-finished SMX Center for International Trade and Exhibitions in Pasay.
He explained that hosting a global tournament requires a venue way larger than the nearby SM Mall of Asia Arena.
"Kailangan 1.5-2 times ng size ng basketball court. Wala naman tayong indoor stadium na ganyan kalaki," Camacho said, adding that the SMX Convention Center Manila, also within the MOA Complex, was considered for the hosting before SM eventually offered the new SMXCITE to the WFP.
Camacho also said that the Wushu World Championships are tentatively set for November 2027, but he added that the WFP is looking to heed a request from the International Wushu Federation so African participants can join.
"They are asking if we can move a little bit earlier because in November, they have the African Games," Camacho further said, adding that the WFP thought about moving it to October, but SM said SMXCITE is already fully booked for that month.
Camacho is set to fly to Haikou, China on Sunday to attend next week's IWUF executive board meeting that could finalize the schedule for the Wushu World Championships.
The meeting will coincide with the IWUF Taolu World Cup.
