Wushu, or martial arts made its debut on the Olympic stage in an unofficial competition timed with the conclusion of the Beijing Olympic Games.

Philippine athlete Willy Wang, who grabbed gold, said he is proud of himself and will try to promote the sport as an official competition for future Olympics.

Our reporter Wang Lei brings more.

Willy Wang, who started to learn wushu when he was twelve, has taken the championship in the men's Nanquan and Nangun at the Beijing Olympics.

The 25-year-old wushu artist said the gold medal has a special meaning.

"Although wushu is not yet an official Olympic competition, I think this gold medal is very significant to me. My coach and I tried very hard for it and I am extremely proud."

His Chinese coach Chen Xuhong has trained several Southeast Asian countries' Wushu teams, and pays homage to Wang's arduous efforts.

"He was quite assiduous when training; he is independent as well. His performance in the Beijing Games was of a high level and showed a strong competitiveness."

The wushu artist, who quit his job before the Olympics, said he would retire from his wushu career and go back to being a computer engineer.

"This is my last competition. I like wushu and it has become a part of my life. Although I am not a wushu athlete anymore, I will pay greater attention to the sport and the Olympics than before."