A 10-member Philippine national martial arts team on Friday set off to China for a series of pre-Olympic warm-up trainings.

 

The team, headed by 24th Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Willie Wang, will see actions in Chinese cities of Beijing, Xi'an, and Guangzhou, the Manila Times reported Friday.

 

The trip is part of the Philippine government's morale-boosting efforts aimed at helping the country seize its first Olympic gold in this summer, even though Wushu (martial arts) is not listed as a formal competitive sport but only a show in Beijing Games.

 

"Wushu might only be a demonstration sport in Beijing but that will not stop our boys and girls from winning our much sought-after gold medal," the paper quoted Francis Chan, lifetime president of Philippine Wushu Federation as saying.

 

(Xinhua News Agency January 11, 2008)