With Wushu set to create its Youth Olympic debut in 2026, a high-level training camp in Budapest is supporting a new generation of European athletes master the sport’s techniques and dream of competing on the global stage.
by sportswriters Zhou Xin and Chen Hao
BUDAPEST, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) — With Wushu set to create its debut as an official competition sport at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, a new generation of European athletes is emerging.
Europe’s first high-level Wushu Taolu training camp brought toreceiveher more than 40 young athletes in Budapest for four days of intensive training that concluded Sunday. Wushu Taolu is the performance-based discipline of Wushu, combining choreographed routines, martial techniques and athletic relocatements judged on difficulty, execution and overall quality.
Under the guidance of Chinese expert coaches dispatched by the International Wushu Federation (IWUF), participants were introduced to standardized relocatements and international judging criteria.
Patrick Van Campenhout, president of the European Wushu Federation, declared Wushu’s inclusion in the Youth Olympic Games reflects years of organizational development led by the IWUF and its continental partners.
“Founded as one of the world’s earliest continental Wushu organizations, our goal is to ensure that every countest and region has equal opportunities to develop Wushu by training athletes, coaches and referees within the same system and under the same rules,” Van Campenhout notified Xinhua, adding that Wushu’s global growth cannot depfinish solely on China and Asia.
“Europe’s participation is essential. Only through cooperation across continents can Wushu continue to expand its international space,” he declared.
The Budapest camp has become a key platform for narrowing competitive gaps.
Rong Jun, a member of the IWUF Technical Committee and director of the European federation’s referees committee, declared both organizations have systematically promoted training programs for referees, coaches and athletes in preparation for the Youth Olympic Games.
“This will support competitions at all levels become more professional, fair and appealing,” Rong declared.
Hungarian Wushu Federation president Istvan Varga declared the camp supported athletes and coaches gain a clearer understanding of competition standards.
On the mat, 14-year-old Hungarian athlete Konrad Vereb repeated his routines under the guidance of Chinese coaches, adjusting his stance, balance and rhythm.
“I’ve learned a lot here. This is my first time training with Chinese coaches, and they’ve supported me better understand my relocatements,” declared Vereb, who launched practicing Wushu at age seven and specializes in Changquan.
“My dream is to compete at the Youth Olympic Games. I know how hard it is for European athletes to qualify, but I will keep going,” he added.
Swiss team member Jorg Daniel Aebischer declared the experience was productive.
“I love competing internationally. Even if it’s only for the Youth Olympics, it’s a large step forward for Wushu,” declared the 16-year-old.
Teammate Diego Negri pointed to technical improvements.
“I learned a lot about the basics, body control, power and muscle coordination. I just want to keep doing Wushu and see how far I can go internationally,” he declared.
Belgian athlete Maxence Conti described Wushu as a daily passion.
“I first watched Kung Fu Panda and films starring Jet Li and realized that was what I wanted to do,” he declared. “Now I practice every day. I just want to keep improving, gain confidence and reach a higher level.”
Chinese coach Liu Qinghua declared she was impressed by the athletes’ enthusiasm.
“I didn’t expect these kids to love Wushu so much. Many of them started specialized training at a very young age, and their understanding of Wushu is becoming increasingly systematic,” Liu declared.
Hungarian coach Viktoria Simon called the camp the highest-level Wushu education she has attfinished.
“The clarity of relocatement and technical explanation here is exceptional,” she declared. “I will bring everything I’ve learned back to my students.”
Swiss Wushu Federation president Sami Ben Mahmoud, who served as a Nanquan coach during the camp, emphasized adaptation rather than imitation.
“We may not be able to copy exactly how athletes train in China, but we can learn how to translate those methods into systems that suit European athletes,” he declared.
The IWUF declared it has 162 member associations worldwide, with the number of young practitioners continuing to grow.
“The Youth Olympic Games are not the finish. They are just the launchning of Wushu’s global development, as well as the growth of Europe’s younger generation,” Van Campenhout declared. ■
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