In April, the 2026 National Wushu Sanda Championships & 20th Asian Games wushu sanda trials were successfully held. The men’s competition took place from April 10 to 17 at the Ankang city gymnasium in Ankang, Shaanxi Province; the women’s competition was held from April 23 to 29 at the Rongchang district gymnasium in Chongqing. This national championship serves not only as the highest-level competitive platform for wushu sanda in China but also as the core selection pathway for the Chinese team for wushu sanda event at the Asian Games. Notably, this year’s national championships have implemented optimized adjustments to the competition system, providing athletes with more opportunities for practical competition and performance display.
Asian Games Trials: Intense Competition to Select the Best
As an important selection pathway for the wushu sanda events at the Asian Games, the final results of this National Wushu Sanda Championships (men’s and women’s competitions) will directly determine the Asian Games roster of the Chinese wushu sanda national team. The Asian Games wushu sanda event includes men’s weight categories of 56kg, 60kg, 65kg, 70kg, and 75kg, and women’s categories of 52kg and 60kg. Each country or region may enter a maximum of four men’s categories and two women’s categories. The Chinese team will compete in four men’s categories (56kg, 60kg, 65kg, 70kg) and two women’s categories (52kg, 60kg).
The preliminary Asian Games selection roster comprehensively refers to results from the National Wushu Sanda Championships, the National Wushu Sanda Championship Finals, the first qualification and the finals of the National Games. The first and second place winners in each weight category of this National Championships will be directly selected as national team members and alternates for the Asian Games, truly achieving the principle of “selection based on competition, ranking based on performance.”
As a result, the on-site competition was exceptionally fierce. The number of participating teams and athletes reached an all-time high, with multiple gold and silver medalists from the National Games competing against each other. The overall level of competition was outstanding, with many matches remaining intensely contested until the final seconds before a winner was determined.
Men’s Competition Overview
The men’s competition features a total of 12 individual weight categories and one team event, attracting 41 teams and 451 athletes nationwide. According to the competition rules, the top eight athletes in each category will qualify for this year’s National Wushu Sanda Championship Finals.
Men’s division final results screenshot
Please refer to official results booklet
Women’s Competition Overview
The women’s competition features a total of 7 individual weight categories and one team event brings together 175 athletes from 35 teams across the country in the mountain city of Chongqing. The top eight athletes in each category will qualify for this year’s National Wushu Sanda Championship Finals.
Women's division final results screenshot
please refer to official results booklet
Transition Between Generations: Burst of Vitality
The competition arena was full of excitement and fierce contests. Teams actively fielded new talents to build depth for higher-level platforms such as the National Games, Asian Games, and World Championships. As an important event at the start of a new competition cycle, the championships featured a distinct blend of old and new: young athletes fought boldly, skillfully applying core techniques of punching, kicking, and wrestling, fully testing their training results; veteran athletes demonstrated superb technical and tactical skills and tenacity while actively mentoring younger competitors. Participating athletes generally agreed that the National Championships are a valuable platform for testing training outcomes and aiming for higher goals.
Competition System Optimization Benefits More Athletes
This year’s National Championships introduced an important optimization to the competition system with the addition of a repechage round, which became a major highlight. Under the new regulations, the top eight athletes in each weight category of the men’s and women’s competitions, together with the top eight from the repechage rounds, will all qualify for the National Championship Finals. This system optimization not only enhances fairness and spectator appeal, effectively preventing top athletes from missing follow-up opportunities due to early meetings, but also further promotes talent development and supports the high-quality development of wushu sanda. According to the competition schedule, the repechage rounds will be held from May 25 to 30, and the Championship Finals is scheduled for October 10 to 17.
With the conclusion of the National Championships, the Chinese wushu sanda Asian Games roster will soon be announced, and the team will begin its full-scale preparation phase. To cope with increasingly fierce international competition, the national wushu sanda team will extend its preparation period, launching a two-month special training camp after the roster is confirmed, targeting weaknesses and enhancing practical combat capability to fully prepare for the Asian Games.
