MANILA - World champion Willy Wang yesterday deferred his decision to retire and instead vowed to continue his quest for the country’s first Olympic gold in 2012 in London.
The 24-year-old Wang, who won a gold in the demonstration sport of wushu in the 29th Olympic Games, said that he will still see action in the 2009 Southeast Asian Games in Laos and in the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China en route to the next Olympiad.
Wang, who topped the nanquian or forms event in the Olympiad, hopes the London Olympic Games organizer would accept wushu as one of the official regular events.
Wushu, which originated in Southern China, was also a demonstration sport in the 1936 Berlin Games.
Francis Chan, the Philippine Wushu Federation chairman also said in a presentation of champions at its headquarters at the Rizal Sports Complex, that the government of China and several wushu foundations throughout the world are moving “heaven and earth” to make the sports a regular sport in the Olympiad.
“Even the Chinese government is investing much for the inclusion of wushu as official regular sports in the 2012 Games. Some wushu foundations throughout the world are also willing to invest much for acceptance in the International Olympic Committee,” said Chan.
Incentive
Both Chan and Philippine Sports Commission chairman William Ramirez, who also attended the presentation, lauded Wang’s gold medal exploit, saying he did it as part of the Games also participated in by more than 40 nations throughout the world.
“Even if it was just a demonstration event but it was still part of the Olympic Games,” said Ramirez.
The lone gold medal, one silver and two bronzes collected by Team Philippines were not counted in the official medal tally because wushu was just a special exhibition
sports.
Aside from Wang, also shining were Mary Jane Estimae, who won a silver medal, while Marian Mariano and Benjie Rivera brought home a bronze medal each.
Meanwhile, Ramirez officially announced that the PSC will be giving P500,000 cash incentives to the four-man wushu team
Chan also said that apart from the PSC, the First Gentleman Mike Arroyo also promised P1 million incentive, while the same amount is also being pledged by Ramon Ang of San Miguel Corporation and Efhraim Genuino of the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor). (FCC)
