PENANG celebrates the success of two Penangites who clinched the ‘World Championship’ titles in their respective categories of the World Championship of Performing Arts (WCOPA) competition recently.
Penang Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai commended Quah Xin En, eight, and Goay Lian Lian, 36, for their success in the international competition.
“The nine-day competition, from July 28 to Aug 9, took place in Hollywood, California.
“It was no easy feat for our two representatives from Penang with participants from 75 countries worldwide. They have made the state and country proud,” he told a media conference at Komtar today.
Quah and Goay were presented with a certificate and RM2,000 each by the Penang government.
Penang You, Sports and Health Committee chairman Daniel Gooi hoped that both Penangites would continue to inspire young Penangites and Malaysians to rise internationally.
“Be brave. Their success is a testament to Penangites’ potential to take on the big stage.
“We are here to celebrate their achievements and we hope that they will continue to inspire others,” Gooi said.
Quah said she won the ‘World Championship’ title in the Rock Music category (Vocal) for children under 10, the gold medal in the Rock Music category (Vocal) for children aged eight to 10, and the silver medal for the Country and Western category (Vocal) for children aged eight to 10.
She said she slowly gained her confidence during the competition.
Goay secured the ‘World Championship’ title in the Hip Hop solo dance. She also received gold medals in the Hip Hop solo dance and the Original Open dance; as well as a silver medal each in the Singing and Dance, and Folk Dance categories.
Goay said she incorporated the ‘Malaysia elements’ in her performances to make them unique.
“I am proud of my country, and I showcased the Jalur Gemilang during my performance. Besides that, I applied Chinese kungfu (Chinese martial arts) in my Hip Hop dance,” she said.
Both Wong and Gooi congratulated Quah and Goay for their achievements.
Story by Christopher Tan
Pix by Darwina Mohd Daud