European Wushu: A New Hope?
“Do I remember?” said the colonel. “Oh, I do, I do!” His voice trembled as he shut up his eyes again. “Everything! Except… which side I fought on…”
“The color of your uniform—” Charlie began.
“Colors begin to run on you,” whispered the colonel. “It’s gotten hazy. I see soldiers with me, but a long time ago I stopped seeing color in their coats or caps…
“But you remember which side of hills you fought on?” Charlie did not raise his voice. “Did the sun rise on your left or right? Did you march toward Canada or Mexico?”
“Seems some mornings the sun rose on my good right hand, some mornings over my left shoulder. We marched all directions. It’s most seventy years since. You forget suns and mornings that long past.”
“You remember winning, don’t you? A battle won, somewhere?”
“No,” said the old man, deep under. “I don’t remember anyone winning anywhere any time. War’s never a winning thing, Charlie. You just lose all the time, and the one who loses last asks for terms. All I remember is a lot of losing and sadness and nothing good but the end of it.
(Ray Bradbury, Dandelion Wine)
39 EUROPEAN WUSHU NATIONAL FEDERATIONS MEET IN ZURICH, SWITZERLAND,
AND UNANIMOUSLY DECIDE TO CREATE
A NEW EUROPEAN WUSHU AND KUNG-FU CONFEDERATION
(http://www.iwuf.org/2023/06/28/39-european-wushu-national-federations-meet-in-zurich-switzerland-and-unanimously-decide-to-create-a-new-european-wushu-and-kung-fu-confederation/?fbclid=IwAR2Xh-XvdN50eKl9Ca8vOF8dkv17WaIF1h6tT9RNwrhXD9yA9YZmOhgBsKY)
This is the end… On 28 June 2023, the International Wushu Federation (IWUF) announced the creation of the Wushu and Kungfu Federation of Europe completing its epic European campaign which was started in April 2021 with suspension of the European Wushu Kung Fu Federation (EWUF) (see https://wushu-herald.co/politics/abduction-of-europe/). No particulars were given to justify such a drastic measure but what followed was just a lot of hot air, empty accusations and persistent bullying EWUF by the IWUF in order to obtain self-incriminating evidence. The IWUF Ethics Committee, entrusted to conduct the investigation of the “grave concerns” in regards to the EWUF, included three high-morale warriors and, due to their creativity and boldness, will undoubtedly enter the history books.
As it was expected, the EWUF appealed against its suspension to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and the Final Judgment (Arbitral Award) (https://jurisprudence.tas-cas.org/Shared%20Documents/8417.pdf) was delivered on 31 August 2021. The Judgment contains a concise description of the matter and, besides, provides a helpful legal opinion on the policies and practices of the IWUF.
For example, it was noted that even the Tribunal was denied full access to the documents claimed by the Ethics Committee to contain evidence of some wrongdoing by the EWUF:
“On 10 July 2020, IWUF received a complaint (or complaints) from a “certain number” of European IWUF members against EWUF and “certain members” of the EWUF Executive Board (the “complaint”). Despite making a number of requests, EWUF – and it must be noted, also the Sole Arbitrator – have not been provided with a copy of the original complaint(s). Rather, IWUF relies on a two-page bullet-point summary of the complaint, which is undated and does not disclose the names of the persons/entities who made the complaint.” (emphasis ours)
A disregard for the CAS was shown on other occasions, too. For example, in the final stages of the proceedings, the IWUF objected to the jurisdiction of CAS to hear the appeal which, in opinion of the IWUF, was not even admissible and made a request for the CAS to dismiss it and to order the EWUF to pay the IWUF’s legal fees.
Unfortunately for the IWUF, the Arbitrator did not accept their arrogant requests. Here is the final judgment:
***
That would be the victory for the EWUF (the current official but suspended continental member of the IWUF) if not for the two minor details. First, the EWUF had to understand that the IWUF’s latest talent acquisition does not accept No for the answer. Second, the EWUF, in its hurry, relocated itself to Latvia which means a new company was created and the EWUF, in its previous status, for all practical purposes, dismantled itself. This is a shame and clearly a sign of insufficient legal knowledge and culture within EWUF. Unfortunately, it means the end for the EWUF. This becomes evident as the majority of EWUF members (Germany, Spain, Poland, Romania et al) appear to be happy to join the WKFE (a new organisation created under the supervision of the IWUF’s ESC (European Supervisory Committee) and personal direction of Mr Anthony Goh) leaving the EWUF to die shortly after its Latvian reincarnation.
But what about the EUWUF (European Wushu Federation) created (or reinstated, as its president Mr Van Campenhout preferred to say) in 2019 and registered in Belgium? Prior to the CAS proceedings, it already considered itself a winner in the race for the status of the continental Wushu organisation. However, no excitement now has been heard from their campus. This is despite the fact that most of its management (Patrick Van Campenhout, Belgium; Stefan Kolev, Bulgaria; Petar Turkovich, Croatia) has smoothly flown into a new organisation (WKFE).
In the meantime, the momentous Zurich decision is starting to materialise. On 31 July 2023, one month after its announcement, the WKFE became registered in Belgium. It is good to see the administrative matters to be handled properly. Other affairs are still to be sorted out. We are not talking about personal ambitions of the leaders of the EWUF and EUWUF who were left behind in this latest reshuffle. For example, what will happen to the Duan Wei holders who obtained their grades under the Qualification System implemented by the EWUF separately from the IWUF? What will happen to the titles of the Championships conducted by the EWUF and EUWUF while both considered themselves the Continental Organisation? If unresolved, these issues have the potential to grow into a new conflict…
We hope that the recent development will end the five-year long senseless and highly damaging for the sport war. We always tend to believe in a good outcome, don’t we?
