According to incomplete statistics, there are nearly 200 million people around the world practicing Wushu. Founded in 1990 the International Wushu Federation has members spreading across five continents, nearly 120 countries and regions and it was officially recognized by the International Olympic committee in 2002. The international Wushu tournament has been held six times biennially by the IWF since 1991.

If a sport wants to be the Olympic event it must apply to the International Olympic Committee 7 years ahead. To meet the standards of application the sport should have associations in at least 75 countries or regions, offering fair rules for competition and judgment and without sexual discrimination, which just coincide with Wushu’s characteristics. But the standards also set requirements for the coverage area of TV live broadcast, the ticket revenue and the sponsors. Further, the International Olympic Committee is simplifying the Olympic events; the London Olympic events have been reduced from 28 to 26.