GOPENG, Sept 12 — Melaka’s wushu exponents continued to fire on all cylinders today after they collected another two gold medals at the 19th Malaysian Games (Sukma).
Siblings Tan Cheong Min and Tan Cheong Wan reigned supreme in the women’s nanquan and men’s changquan respectively, bringing the wushu teams’ gold tally to five in the past two days.
The team was also boosted by a silver and two bronze medals from men’s nandao and the men and women’s taijiquan events.
Penang and the Federal Territory also grabbed two golds each from the day’s seven events.
Melaka team manager Yong Kheng Chien said the squad had already managed to achieve its pre-tournament target of five golds.
“We’re extremely proud of the team. They put in an extraordinary effort and rose to the occasion,” he told reporters at the Perak Matriculation College hall here.
“We’re hoping for even better performances tomorrow.”
But even with eight golds at stake tomorrow, Yong refused to heap any expectation on his charges.
“There is no pressure, we only want them to do their best,” he said.
Melaka’s first gold of the day came from national exponent Tan Cheong Min who won her first gold medal of this year’s games.
Tan put up a dominant performance with a score of 9.56 points to take home the women’s nanquan gold, ahead of Kelantan’s Nor Azira Kamarudzaman and Sarawak’s Lee Hui Xian.
It was the 20-year-old’s second medal of the games so far after she won silver yesterday in women’s nandao.
Following in his sister’s footsteps, Tan Cheong Wan notched up Melaka’s second gold of the day with a dominant display in men’s changquan.
His 9.62 score was enough to defeat second-placed Clement Ting Su Wei (Sarawak) and bronze medallist Chang Men Da (Negri Sembilan).
But Melaka was not the only team to shine today, as Penang and Federal Territory also collected two gold medals of their own.
Women’s taijiquan was won by Penang’s Chan Lu Yi, whose 9.52 score beat out Melaka’s Sydney Chin Sy Xuan and Selangor’s Mandy Cebelle Chen, who finished second and third respectively.
Penang took its second gold via Aggie Cheah Ruey Shin, who beat Negri Sembilan’s Pang Pui Yee and Pahang’s Chong Chuo Tong in the women’s changquan event.
In the first event of the day, Negri Sembilan’s Calvin Lee Wau Leong put in a stellar display to snatch gold in the men’s Nanquan.
His 9.54 score placed him ahead of Brunei’s Mohammad Adi Salihin Roslan and Penang’s Chuah Shangyang, who scored 9.50 and 9.48 respectively.
The Federal Territory also notched up their first wushu gold of the games in men’s Taijiquan thanks to a top notch routine from Kerk Qing, whose 9.40 score was enough to finish ahead of Perak’s Aw Sheng Hao and Melaka’s Eddie Chin Jia Ze.
The final event of the day saw the Federal Territory’s Ong Yew Meng bring in their second gold in the men’s nandao, ahead of Penang’s Chuah Shangyang and Melaka’s Bryan Ti Kai Jie.
The wushu taolu events will continue tomorrow, with eight gold medals at stake.
