WINNING FORMATION: Sarawak Tang So Do exponents performed their combined team formation and moves during the recent19th National Level Tang Soo Do Championship. The team won gold in the team formation event.
KUCHING: Sarawak’s Tang Soo Do team finished second in the recent 19th National Level Tang Soo Do Championship held at Tapian Gelanggang after narrowly lost to defending champion Perak.
The determined state’s exponents collected 14 gold, 20 silver and 17 bronze medals but lost the fight for the overall champion by only four gold medals.
The state’s 46-member team however improved their medal tally compared to last year’s eight gold, 12 silver and 10 bronze medals.
State chief technical committee chairman of Federation of Malaysia Tang Soo Do (Fomtsdo) Master Chin Kok King said the event was held annually since 2002.
“The host of the competition shall be alternated between East and West Malaysia where in 2008 Kuching was host, followed by Teluk Intan , Miri, Kota Kinabalu and this year Kuching is host again. The competitors was tested on the formation challenge on the first day, followed by free sparring and free street fighting challenge on the final day,” he said.
The three-day event was organised by Fomtsdo in collaboration with the state’s youth and sports department with a total of 160 exponents from Melaka, Perak, Selangor, Kelantan and host Sarawak taking part.
Held in conjunction with Federation of Malaysia Tang Soo Do 40th anniversary celebration, the Korean martial art had its humble beginning here back in the 1960s with centres first opened in Kuching and Sibu.
Chin added that it was first mooted in 1972 by the late master Dr.Y Y Lee and GM Lee Kang Uk at the inaugural Malaysia Tang Soo Do championship held in Kuching and from there the popularity of Tang Soo Do began to grow in Sarawak with centres being set up in Bintulu, Kapit, Miri and Bintagor.