Lee (right) and Ling (centre) with Sarawak Sukma shadow team members during the Sarawak Elite Wushu Championship at CHMS No.3 School Hall last month.
KUCHING: Wushu Federation of Sarawak (WFS) has been officially accepted as one of the sports bodies to promote and develop sports in Chung Hua Middle School (CHMS) No. 3.
Starting next January, WFS’ affiliate Kuching Elite Wushu Club coach Ling Ung Hee will conduct wushu classes and help form a club at the Chinese independent secondary school.
Ling, who is also Kuching Elite Wushu Club president, is no stranger to the school as she first recommended current state elite athlete Stephanie Ngu Chai Ern to study at CHMS No. 3 on a scholarship.
Stephanie created history in 2016 when she became the youngest state wushu athlete to win medals in Sukma.
She was only 12 when she bagged the bronze in the women’s optional routine jianshu and optional routine qiangshu in Sarawak Sukma at Chung Hua Primary School No. 3 School Hall here.
She went on to win the silver in women’s jianshu and bronze in women’s qiangshu in Perak Sukma in 2018.
Since then, four other potential athletes Fu Sian Wei, Edwin Wong and Godwin Wong have joined Stephanie at the school and they are members of the Sarawak Sukma shadow team.
Two more young athletes Andra Chan Zhi Zheng and Chan Kang Wei are also set to enrol as students at CHMS No.3 next year.
“Our school welcome all potential athletes who can bring glory not only to Sarawak but also the school,” said CHMS No.3 principal Lee Chee Beng.
“We encourage the development of wushu and other sports and I have worked closely with Ling for six years. “We are happy that through this close cooperation and coordination, Stephanie has helped Sarawak win medals in Sukma and I believe her achievements will motivate other students to take up wushu,” he added.
Lee said wushu also provide a platform for the students to excel at a higher level as it is a high-performance sport that is recognised by the Sarawak State Sports Council and Wushu Federation of Malaysia.
Moreover, wushu exponents are well-disciplined athletes and by engaging in the traditional Chinese martial art that originated from China, they also learn self-defence and embrace a healthy lifestyle.
“This is the right time to expand the sport in CHMS No.3,” Ling said. “In fact, l had actually thought of starting wushu classes in 2017 but changed my mind due to certain circumstances.
“As the school has given us the approval to further promote wushu as one of the sports activities, we will start conducting classes next year. Over the years, we have a proven track record through Stephanie, ” she added.
Meanwhile, WFS deputy president James Ting Ing Seek said the latest development augurs well for the continued growth of wushu in the state.
“We have always encouraged public and private schools to accept wushu as a sport activity.
“I believe that by implementing this programme in schools we are able to create a bigger pool of athletes where we can select the best to be groomed to represent the state at national and international competitions,” he said.