The world's most exclusive sanda card begins today. The 11th IWUF Sanda World Cup opened its competition phase on Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at the Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion in Macao, China - and EUWUSHU.TV is bringing the action to European viewers live, with coverage of all three days of competition.

Following the opening ceremony held on Tuesday, May 12, three days of elite sanda action now run from May 13 to 15, contesting 17 gold medals across 17 weight categories - 11 men's divisions and 6 women's divisions.

A leaner, sharper field

The 11th SWC has drawn nearly 60 athletes from 21 countries and regions, with around 110 total participants including coaches and team officials. Among the federations represented, China has fielded the largest squad with 8 athletes, followed by host Macao with 4 and Hong Kong with 2.

This is, by design, a tighter field than other international sanda events. The Sanda World Cup admits only the top three finishers from each weight category at the most recent World Wushu Championships - in this case, the 17th WWC held in Brasília, Brazil in September 2025. Each member federation may enter a maximum of one team, with up to eight athletes total. There is no open registration, no qualification by ranking points - only podium results at the world championships earn a seat on the leitai in Macao.

What's on the line

Each gold medal carries the weight of being the most exclusive title outside the World Championships themselves. The format is unmistakably sanda at its purest:

  • Bouts: three rounds of two minutes, with one-minute rest periods
  • Platform: the elevated 8m x 8m leitai
  • System: single-knockout, with round-robin used only when fewer than four athletes contest a weight class
  • Men's events: competed without head guards or chest protectors - a distinctive feature of the World Cup format, raising both the technical standard and the visible intensity
  • Prize money on the line for medalists

Why this matters

"The Sanda World Cup is one of our six official flagship events, gathering the top three athletes from all weight divisions of the World Wushu Championships," said Zhang Yuping, Secretary General of the IWUF, in pre-event remarks. This is, in other words, the event the global sanda community considers the gold standard alongside the World Championships - a closed elite competition where, by definition, every athlete on the floor has already proven themselves at world level.

The 11th edition is also a historic first for Macao. Although the Macao wushu programme has built a strong international reputation - and just delivered a 1-gold, 3-silver, 3-bronze haul at the 17th WWC in Brasília - this is the first time the city has hosted the Sanda World Cup. The decision underscores Macao's rising profile as a host city for IWUF flagship events.

The European context

The 11th SWC arrives in the middle of one of the densest periods on the international wushu calendar in years. Just three days ago, the 20th European Wushu Kungfu Championships wrapped up in Lyon. Last month, the 5th World Taijiquan Championships were staged in Burgas. In March, the 10th World Junior Wushu Championships in Tianjin set the qualification field for wushu's historic Olympic debut at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games this November.

The previous edition, the 10th SWC in Jiangyin (April 2025), was notable for the European medal showing - with Italy, Portugal, France, and Switzerland all reaching the podium. Macao 2026 offers Europe's qualified athletes another opportunity, on the most exclusive sanda stage of the year.

How to watch

Live coverage of the 11th IWUF Sanda World Cup is available on EUWUSHU.TV - all three days of competition, from the opening session through the medal finals. Coverage is sourced from the official IWUF/Wushu TV international feed, with EUWUSHU.TV serving as the European destination for sanda fans following the event live.

Sessions run from May 13 to 15. Finals take place on May 15 with the awards ceremony immediately following the last sanda session of the day.