The Sarawak wushu team celebrating with chef-de-mission Datuk Abdul Karim Hamzah (third left), his wife Datin Zuraini Abdul Jabbar (third right), Batu Kitang assemblyman Lo Khere Chiang (second right), Wushu Federation of Sarawak president Allen Wong (right), deputy president James Ting (second left) and Roger Chan (left) after the first day of wushu competition at SJK Chung Hua No. 3 Alumni Hall yesterday.
KUCHING: In his very first Sukma appearance, Muhammad Asri Abdul Wahab surprised everyone including himself at SJK Chung Hua No. 3 Alumni Hall yesterday by capturing the men’s taijiquan gold.
The 19-year-old Sibu-born Asri, who was the only Bumiputra contestant in the 12-competitor men’s taijiquan, scored 9.50 points.
Malacca’s Tan Zhi Yan and Tan Wee Sern took the silver and bronze with 9.44 points and 9.34 points respectively.
Clement Ting Su Wei followed up with a superb performance in the men’s changquan by scoring 9.63 points.
Clement was actually tied with Negeri Sembilan’s Khaw Jun Lim on points but the judges declared the former as the winner based on the higher degree of difficulty in his moves.
Another Sarawakian Elvic Bong Qian Zheng was third with 9.61 points in the highly competitive field of 21 participants.
Another debutant Lee Cau Peng scored 9.46 points for the bronze medal in the men’s nanquan, which was the first event competed on the first day.
The gold was won by national exponent Calvin Lee Wai Leong of Negeri Sembilan who scored 9.56 points. A close second was Malacca’s Eric Lau Lofstedt on 9.54 points.
Sarawak’s Clement Thian Fung Seng finished in 12th spot with 8.95 points.
In the women’s taijiquan, the top three spots were dominated by national exponents, with Chan Lu Yi of Penang grabbing the gold with 9.64 points, Sarawak’s Audrey Chan Yee Jo the silver with 9.61 points and Sydney Chin Sy Xuan with 9.60 points.
National exponent Tan Cheong Min from Malacca made a successful defence of her title when she put up a powerful display to score 9.42 points in the women’s nanquan.
At the end of the competition on day one, Sarawak topped the wushu medal tally table with two gold, one silver and two bronze medals, followed by Penang with two gold and Malacca were third with one gold, four silvers and three bronzes.
Six more events men’s nangun, qiangshu, daoshu and taijijian and women’s nangun, daoshu, qiangshu and Taijijian will be competed today.