Frankie Hii (R) and Lau Kiing Fuu
(in the air) from the Sarawak
Wushu Association performing
during the Mixed Cross Sparring
event in the Brunei Wushu
Championship yesterday. The duo
won gold with their performance
with a score of 7.9 points at the
Mumong Sports Complex.Picture:
BT/Chua Guan Cheong
Brunei-Muara were crowned kings at yesterday's inaugural Brunei Wushu Championship after topping the medal tally with 13 gold, seven silver, and 1 bronze.
Held at the Mumong Sports Complex, the tournament saw seven teams - three from Brunei and four from Malaysia - competing in 42 categories of the Chinese martial art.
Boasting several national wushu team members, including Lee Ying Shi and Ang Guat Lian, Brunei-Muara's team met little resistance in the events they took part in despite sending only a contingent of seven athletes.
The Miri Wushu Association would have topped the table if total medals won was the deciding factor since they won 39 medals (eight gold, 13 silver, 18 bronze), ahead of Sarawak Wushu Association's 33 (10 gold, 13 silver, 10 bronze) - both teams dwarfing Brunei-Muara's total tally of 21.
Sarawak's Chenshi Taijiquan Association, with a contingent of 11 members, finished fourth in the table with seven gold, two silver, and five bronze medals.
The School Sports Council team, represented by 12 students from Chung Hwa Middle School Bandar Seri Begawan, returned with a tally of two gold, one silver, and four bronze medals.
Johor Wushu Association, sending a very young team of seven members consisting of children and some teenagers, ranked sixth with one gold, five silver, and three bronze.
Despite coming in last in the competition, the Belait team should be proud of itself as Nur Batrisyia Ripin was the only athlete representing the team - winning one gold and one silver for her efforts.
There were some murmurs of surprise during the Women's Taijiquan event when the first competitor from Brunei-Muara, Ang Guat Lian, performed her routines first, but contestants behind her were made to perform theirs' in pairs and trios.
Ang came in first in the event with a score of 8.4.
Explaining the decision, national coach Li Hui said that it was made due to time consideration, but stressed that it was entirely within international regulations for wushu.
"Under international rules, organisers of wushu competitions are allowed to schedule two or three athletes to perform their routines together," said Li Hui.
The national coach also added that the rule only applies to Taiji related events, which is generally performed in slower motions, but not other categories, which require very quick kicking and jumping.
One of the Taiji participants from Johor, 14-year-old Lim Shu Ying, who performed together with her teammate Choo Yi Xuan, said even though she initially thought they were supposed to perform the routines alone, performing together with her teammates did not impact her performance.
"I think it was alright," said Lim.
"It did not affect me or my teammates at all," said Lim, who came in fourth in the event with a score of 7.5, while her teammate Choo was fifth with 7.2.
The same situation happened with the men's Taiji Sword event, but the events continued smoothly with no complaints.
Guest of honour Hj Md Yusof Hj Dulamin, Legislative Council member and Ketua Kampung Mumong, was present at the sports complex to present medals to the winning athletes.
