INTERNATIONAL STINT: File photo of Yong Arifah practising the taijiquan during a recent training session at Sarawak State Sports Council’s Wushu Elite Training Centre at Jalan Kung Pin.
Arifah, Felicia to compete in Asian junior wushu
KUCHING: Sarawak’s rising wushu exponents, Yong Arifah Khairul Kok and Felicia Ma Hui Qi will be representing Malaysia for the 7th Asian Junior Wushu Championship to be held in Manila, Philippines from Aug 5 to 14.
Both were selected after their sterling performances in local and national championships especially for 14-year-old Arifah who had performed well the past three years.
The SMK Sungai Maong student, Kuching is looking forward to doing well at the coming event and together with Felicia, she had been called up for intensive national training in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur from July 15 to Aug 5.
Felicia is a 12-year-old student from Chung Hua Primary School No. 4 and she will compete in Girls’ C changquan and jianshu.
The two girls are joined by 10 others namely Khaw Jun Lim, Ooi Say Onn, Loh Ying Ting, Aggie Cheah Ruey Shin in Category A, Tan Cheong Wan, Fu Fang Zyun, Tan Cheong Min, Caleb Kiran Bala, Si Shin Peng and Tammy Tan Hui Ling in Category B.
Head coach for the national squad is Yoong Thong Foong and assisted by Tan Ching Fung, Lim Yew Fai and Luo Hao.
Accompanying the national junior team are judge Lim Kim and team assistant Chai Fong Wei.
Feeling both nervous and excited for her debut in an international meet, Arifah had set her sights on finishing among the top three in Girls’ C taijiquan and taijijian at the Asian meet.
She was also selected based on her excellent performance at the Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia (KPM) Wushu Championship in Ipoh, Perak last year.
Arifah is of mixed Malay-Chinese-Iban parentage and had won the gold medals in Girls’ C taijijian and being the Best Non-Chinese Female exponent in the meet and was fourth in taijiquan.
“I didn’t expect to be chosen by the national coach and I didn’t think that it would happen so soon,” she said of being surprised to be selected by the national coach during the KPM championship.
“I’ll try my very best to bring glory to Sarawak and the country. I am also hoping to learn from the other exponents at the Asian meet and hopefully gain more experience in preparation for other competitions in the future,” she added.
After the Asian championship, Arifah who is also one of the members of the Sukma 2014/2016 back-up squad will be competing in the National Wushu Championship in Kuala Lumpur next month.
Arifah’s father Kok Swee Yong @ Khairul Kok said he was also surprised that his daughter was chosen to represent Malaysia at international scene.
“Arifah has only practised wushu for a number of years and she had only switched to taijiquan and taijijian on the advice of her coach Ling Ung Hee a year ago,” he said.
“We are very proud that she has gotten a national call-up and we do hope she can do us, the state and country proud by winning medals in the Asian championship,” he added.
Arifah started took up wushu while she was in primary four at Chung Hua Primary School No. 4 to fulfill her school’s requirement on co-curriculum activities, starting with an hour of wushu lessons on every Wednesday.
Ling, who went to teach wushu in her school, noticed her potential and asked her to join the Saturday lesson at Kuching Civic Centre.
In 2009, Arifah competed in the Sarawak Wushu Championship and won silvers in the changquan and jianshu events.
The following year, she struck gold in the changquan and maintained her silver in the jianshu.