CHINA: An Emerging Phoenix in the land of KUNG FU

The Huge Promise of China's Role in Global Savate
The Chinese Federation of Savate was born on 21st May 2011!
 

Source: FIS

A delegation of international Savate went to Beijing last week to complete, in style, the opening up of Savate to millions of Chinese.  After many attempts, over almost two years, with many contacts, Savate has succeeded in entering the orbit of planet China!On 20th May 2011, the BKS - Beijing Bokesen Sports Culture Development Co., Ltd, welcomed two French athletes, Hédi Beaube and Idriss Mardaye, accompanied by their coach, Ludo Carbou to star, the same evening, in front of 2000 spectators and four channels of CCTV (French-speaking, English-speaking, CCTV-WCS and BEIJING TV) at the official opening ceremony of the International Centre of Boxing of Beijing.

For this entry in China, one of the top sporting nations, our President Julie Gabriel and the Vice-President, Joël Dhumez, were invited to give a presentation on the values and virtues of Savate in front of an enthusiast public and under the attentive and friendly eye of Mrs Mylene Hardy-Zhang, Attaché for language, education and sport of the Service for Co-operation and Cultural Action of the French Embassy in Beijing.

BKS, who we first approached in Beijing in September 2010, at the time of the "First World Combat Games", is recognised as a pioneering institution for combat sports in China, and  positions itself as a platform for the boxing (kick-punch) sports. By combining the formation (initial and continued training) of the fight sports, the promotion and staging of events at the national level and international level, and the production of television programs for the official CCTV-WCS (World Combat Sports) channel, the BKS proves itself to be the appropriate partner of International Savate.

In the light of this success, the BKS notably choose to reinforce this initiative by organising training, for about 30 novices of Savate, with our two athletes and their coach. Our officials, President and Vice-President of FISav, did not hesitate to assist in the training at the halls of the Sports University of Beijing

Besides athletic performances and diplomatic advances, the Chinese partners had planned a special tourist program – Tian'an’men Square, the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Ming Tombs – without neglecting to show great hospitality as well as  real and warm friendship, that translated itself often into evenings around well-laden tables. These sessions of training, only beginnings, can be considered as a consecration of the signing of the agreement for the creation of the new Chinese Federation of Savate on Saturday May 21st 2011:  Julie Gabriel and Joël Dhumez had the privilege to work with the President of the BKS, Mrs LIU Xiao Hong, its Vice-President, Mr. LIU Li Xin and its General Director, Mr. ZHOU Jian Jun to complete the negotiations. The delegation of the FISav also had the opportunity and pleasure to meet Mr CHANG Jian Ping, General Director of the Boxing and Taekwondo Administrative Centre of the General Administration of Sport for China. It should be remembered now, having passed through the stage of dreams and vows, to write this first mission in the story of a collective approach and a collective strategy within FISav, and with the effective support of the French Federation. This mission is the culmination of a long continuum of relationships of different levels – sportsmen, administrative, institutional, political, cultural – but especially a magnificent promise for international Savate. The Chinese Sports Ministry, the General Direction of Sports Competitions (Mr. HAI Si Wen), the various approaches with Federations of combat sports and the visits of numerous Chinese universities, just like the recognition by SportAccord, have contributed, stone by stone, to construct an image promoting Savate as a major combat sport on the international scene. Similarly, we should be pleased that the International Federation of University Sports (FISU) has invited FISav to the Universiades of Shenzhen (China) in August 2011.  This opportunity offers us a springboard to move in the spirit of olympism dear to Pierre de Coubertin, always “Faster, Higher, Further” (Citius, Altius, Fortius), corresponding to the spirit of our athletes and the essence of Savate, in China and all over the world: 'There is little to choose between overshooting the mark and falling short.' as Confucius (孔 夫 子) said 2,500 years ago… Savate can still hope a lot for China!