Manila: The Philippines is set to be the stage for two major international wushu events, the 2027 World Wushu Championships and the 2028 Asian Wushu Championships. This announcement was made by Wushu Federation of the Philippines (WFP) president Freddie Jalasco and secretary general Julian Camacho during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum held at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila.

According to Philippines News Agency, the WFP plans to begin preparations early next year to ensure the successful hosting of these significant events. "We will start our mobilization by early next year. So, we have to prepare everything to ensure the success of our hosting, because it is a huge event," Jalasco stated. The consecutive hosting of these tournaments was suggested by the Wushu Federation of Asia (WFA), as explained by Camacho. "The WFA talked to me, they said, since you're hosting the 2027 World Championships, maybe you can host the Asian Championships next year. So, it's back-to-back. I said, OK," he shared.

The necessary equipment, including taolu carpet, sanda ring, and scoring machines, will be reused for both events, given the short interval between them. The WFP requires PHP500 million to host the World Wushu Championships, with over 2,000 athletes from 80 countries anticipated to compete in both taolu and sanda events at the SMX Mall of Asia.

Carlos Baylon Jr., a World Wushu Championships silver medalist in the sanda 56kg category, also attended the forum. He expressed his commitment to training hard to secure a gold medal. "There is a little pressure on our athletes because we are the host, but we will show other countries that we are strong," said Baylon, who won a gold medal at the IWUF 10th Sanda World Cup last April and a bronze medal at the 2025 World Games in August.