YEARS of dedication, discipline and perseverance paid off handsomely for the Penang wushu team from the Penang Chinese Chin Woo Athletic Association after they returned from Germany with an impressive haul of seven gold, five silver and two bronze medals.
The team achieved the feat in the Taolu (routines) category at the 18th World Chin Woo Championships and Wushu Cultural Conference, held in August in Bernau near Berlin, Germany.
The chief coach Chong Min Fei described the achievement as the association’s biggest accomplishment to date, crediting the athletes’ commitment and rigorous preparation for their success on the international stage.
Speaking during an interview session with Buletin Mutiara at the association’s office in Burmah Road today, Chong said the Penang contingent comprised four athletes namely Khoo Siang Choo, 60, Ngiam Zi Hang, 20, Lee Chien Ling, 18, and Tan En Dove, 16.
“To prepare for the prestigious championship, the team conducted three intensive training camps in March, May and July.
“Besides the training camps, our athletes also trained almost every day. Each training session lasted about three hours, excluding the personal training they carried out at home.
“We trained very hard because we knew the competition would be challenging and that we were representing Penang at the international level,” he said.
Chong said the athletes were selected based on their performances at the previous national competition held last year, which paved the way for them to represent Penang at this year’s World Chin Woo Championships in Germany.
Following their success, the association has already set its sights on the next challenge.
“We will prepare for next year’s Chin Woo competition. The next international-level Chin Woo wushu competition will be held in China in two years’ time, so we will continue working towards that,” Chong said.
Among the four athletes, Khoo’s journey stands out as a remarkable story of returning to the sport after four decades.
Khoo said she first learned wushu when she was just 10 years old but eventually stopped training and remained inactive for about 40 years before making a comeback two years ago.
“Learning wushu again at this age was not easy. My body was painful and my stamina was not what it used to be.
“But after two years of training, I gradually became stronger and my body started adapting well to the demands of the sport,” she said.
Interestingly, it was a Chin Woo competition held in Penang two years ago that inspired Khoo to return to competitive wushu.
At the time, she was volunteering at the event and was responsible for helping with food arrangements. Watching the athletes compete reignited her passion for the sport.
“I saw the participants competing and I felt it was very exciting. That motivated me to return to wushu and eventually compete myself,” she said.
For Ngiam, the championship in Germany marked his first major international tournament.
The Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) student said he started learning wushu at the age of seven and has continued training ever since.
Meanwhile, Lee, 18, also began his wushu journey at the association when she was seven and has remained committed to training there.
The achievements of the four athletes reflect not only their individual talent, but also the importance of sustained training, experience and strong support from their coaches and association.
With the next international Chin Woo competition in China already on the horizon, the Penang team now has another ambitious target to work towards and a strong foundation on which to build.
Story by Riadz Akmal
Pix by Law Suun Ting