As President of Kungfu Wushu Australia (KWA) and Kungfu Wushu Oceania, I am delighted to share a very important moment for KWA and for all our members.
Kungfu Wushu Australia has been officially recognised by the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) and was invited to participate in the AOC Annual General Meeting, alongside Australia’s national sporting federations from both summer and winter Olympic sports, held on Saturday, 2 May at the Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney. We were also invited to a special business luncheon with Olympians and attended the AOC’s Welcome Home Dinner for the Milano Cortina Australian Olympic Team on Friday evening.
KWA has been recognised by the AOC following Wushu’s inclusion in the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Dakar, Senegal, from 31 October to 13 November this year. Wushu will join 35 other sports at what will be the first Olympic event held on the African continent.
After many years of feeling that Kungfu Wushu was somewhat on the outside of the Australian sporting community, we are now, finally, part of the wider Australian sports family. This is a very proud and meaningful moment.
I was warmly welcomed at the AGM by many leaders of Australian sport, including Mr John Coates, AOC Honorary Life President, former AOC President of 32 years and former Senior Vice President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC); Mr Ian Chesterman, AOC President and IOC Member; and Mr Mark Arbib, Chief Executive Officer of the AOC.
To be in the room with the CEOs of Athletics, Football, Swimming, Skiing, Snowboarding, Skateboarding, Surfing, Rowing, Basketball, Table Tennis, Badminton and many other Olympic sports was a very special experience.
As a graduate of Beijing Sport University, I have always known Wushu as part of the national sporting community. In Australia, however, it has sometimes felt that Kungfu Wushu was not accepted in the same way as other sports. Today, I felt welcomed and accepted by the Australian sporting community. It felt very good.
This recognition also brings responsibility. There is now no excuse for us not to promote Kungfu Wushu more strongly across Australia and throughout the Oceania region. We must use this opportunity to continue building our sport, supporting our athletes, coaches, officials and members, and strengthening the future of Kungfu Wushu in Australia.
I would also like to personally thank IWUF Secretary General Zhang Yuping and Mr Anthony Edgar for their great support and assistance in helping us realise this dream. Mr Edgar was a senior executive with the IOC, working on the Olympic Games for close to 30 years, and is currently assisting the IWUF and KWA.
This is a proud day for KWA, Kungfu Wushu Oceania and all members of our community.
Dr Shao Zhaoming
President, Kungfu Wushu Australia
President, Oceania Kungfu Wushu Federation
