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- Boys’ C changquan gold medallist Edwin Wong Sin Yew (second left) on the podium with other winners after receiving his prizes.
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- Stephanie Ngu Chai Ern
KUCHING: Sarawak got off to a roaring start in the 7th KPM (Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia) Wushu Championship at the Kuala Lumpur Chin Wu Stadium on Saturday when they captured five gold, two silver, three bronze medals and four fourth placings.
That medal haul placed them in fourth place overall at the end of day one of competition. Lai Yun Yi delivered the state’s first gold medal of the day when she scored 7.62 points in the Girls’ U18 changquan to beat Malacca’s Lee Sye Ling (7.60) and Penang’s Koo Yi Ting (7.47). Edwin Wong Sing Yew followed up with a golden performance in the Boys’ C changquan when he pooled 8.66 points.
National back-up athlete Lee Hui Xian was up to mark to score 9.23 points in the Girls’ A nandao and also bagged the bronze in the nanquan where she scored 8.53 points.
Sukma athlete Elvic Bong Qian Zheng lived up to expectations when he topped the Boys’ A jianshu with 9.33 points, beating Kong Hoe Heng of KL (9.24) and Yap Min Xiang of Selangor (9.12). However, a few errors cost him the gold in the Boys’ A changquan where he settled for bronze (9.36 points) after winner Tan Cheong Wan (9.46) and Ang Qi Yue (9.39), both from Malacca.
Another Sukma athlete Stephanie Ngu Chai Ern finally realised her golden dream at the KPM meet when she won the Girls’ B jianshu with 8.67 points to beat seven others. Sukma XVIII medallist Yong Arifah Khairul Kok won the silver in the Girls’ A taijiquan while the other silver was won by debutant Kee Jia Ke in the Boys’ B taijiquan with 8.67 points, losing to gold medallist from Malacca Oswald Lim Xuan Zhe by a mere 0.03 points.
The other bronze medals were won by Ashley Chai Ern Nie in the Girls’ B nandao (8.25) and nanquan (8.54).
Team coach Ling Ung Hee expressed satisfaction, happy that those who also competed in last year’s meet in Penang, all landed medals.
“We sent a stronger team this year and it was a good experience for the new faces and the new taiji athletes have also done well,” she told Borneo Post in a telephone interview.
“We are hoping to win some more medals tomorrow (Sunday) where the younger athletes will be in action,” she added.
Saturday’s medal haul of five gold, two silver and three bronze has already surpassed last year’s achievement of 3-2-6 medals.