Sukma 2024: Federal Territories wushu squad wary of Melaka threat

KUALA LUMPUR (July 30): The Federal Territories (WiPers) wushu camp are wary of the threat from the Melaka team who are expected to give fierce competition in the Taolu (individual routine) event at the 21st Malaysia Games (Sukma) as most of them are national athletes.

Taolu coach Lim Yew Fai said that in preparation, his charges had camped at Guangzhou University in China for a month in March, in addition to participating in several domestic tournaments while they were under his care from September last year.

“We went to Guangzhou in China last March to train because there are many experts in taolu events aside from participating in two or three tournaments in the country. Wushu competitions are rarely held so when there are, we enter and most recently the International Wushu (Invitational) competition in the capital,” he said when contacted by Bernama today.

Asked if any targets were set for his team to surpass the achievement of one gold medal in the previous edition in Kuala Lumpur, Lim said he did not want to put pressure on his WiPers fighters but instead hoped they would make fewer mistakes in performance at the Wushu Hall at Petrajaya in Kuching.

The WiPers men’s team lined up are Yap Teik Yeong for the Changquan (long fist), Daoshu (broadsword) and Gunshu (long staff) disciplines while Alvyn Toh (Changquan, Jianshu/straightsword and Qiangshu (spear), Wong Hong Man (Jianshu and Qiangshu), Kwan Yin Jie (Daoshu and Gunshu/staff), Sing Guan Sheng (Nanquan/fist, Nandao/butterfly sword and Nangun/staff) and Lee Cheng Yang (Taijiquan/slow hands or weapon) and Taijijian/double-edge sword).

The women’s team lined up are Lauren Tan for the Changquan, Jianshu and Qiangshu disciplines, Lee Cheng Wei (Changquan, Jianshu and Qiangshu), Lydia Lau (Nanquan, Nandao and Nangun), Arwen Darwisya Amri (Nanquan, Nandao and Nangun, Kwan Yong Xin ( Taijiquan and Taijijian) while Kong Yu Yen is down for Taijiquan and Taijijian disciplines.

Sukma 2024 in Sarawak will be held from Aug 17-24. – Bernama