Wushu target just one gold at Cambodia SEA Games
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 28 (Bernama) -- The Wushu Federation of Malaysia (WFM) have a more realistic target and are targetting only one gold medal at the 2023 Cambodia SEA Games, said its president Datuk Chong Kim Fatt.
He said the low target was set following the Wushu Federation of Asia (WFA) introducing a new, more challenging competition format by combining two disciplines in the Taolu events, which will be making their debut at the Games in Phnom Penh from May 5 to 17.
The combined Taolu disciplines are Taijiquan-Taijijian; Daoshu-Gunshu; Jianshu-Qiangshu and Nandao-Nangun for the men's and women's categories, with 14 gold medals on offer and six gold medals in the Sanda category.
"There will indeed be difficulties when mergers are made, but I am confident that if the target is based on Taolu, the chances will be brighter because they (wushu exponents) still held training during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Perhaps our target is lower than the medals won in Vietnam because this time there are more new faces, but with the possibility of world champion Wong Wen Son being present it will help the country pose a good challenge at the international level," he told reporters after a national athletes selection session for the 32nd edition of the SEA Games at the National Sports Council here today.
Commenting further, Chong said he is confident that the national wushu squad will also able to bring home a silver and a bronze medal in Taolu at the most prestigious sports meet in Southeast Asia.
At the 31st edition in Hanoi, the Malaysian wushu exponents won two gold, a silver and two bronze, all of them in the Taolu events there then.
In other developments, Chong informed that WFM are now trying to get the services of a coach from China to run the wushu Podium Programme in preparation for the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, next September.
"At this time, I cannot reveal whether the person (foreign coach) is male or female. We are now in the first stage of conducting the selection so it will take some time to complete but we are already in contact with representatives from Beijing.
"They have put forward some suitable candidates to sharpen the team's existing skills to the best level and it is expected that this coach will come to Malaysia this March... hopefully this will go smoothly," he said.
-- BERNAMA
