Rocky road to Glasgow

Redemption mission: Debutant Ng Chun Chen aims to bounce back from a disappointing Asian Championships outing and reach the finals in the Games.

Glasgow: The road to Glasgow was anything but smooth for national man artistic gymnast Ng Chun Chen and his teammates.

Making his Commonwealth Games debut, the 24-year-old revealed that what should have been a routine trip from Kuala Lumpur to Scotland turned into a near two-day ordeal after their connecting flight was cancelled twice.

“Our journey to Glasgow was really exhausting because our flight got cancelled twice, and it took us almost two days to get here,” said Chun Chen, adding that the disruptions occurred at their transit point and forced the squad to spend nights stranded at the airport.

But the frustration gave way to relief the moment they touched down in Glasgow on Wednesday. The artistic gymnastics competition starts today.

“Reaching Glasgow was such a relief, though. Everyone immediately started looking after us, and when we checked in, the venue was really impressive. The competition hall is huge, and everything is very well organised,” he said.

In Glasgow, Chun Chen is looking for redemption. He admitted his performance at the Asian Championships in China fell short of his own expectations, where he didn’t qualify for the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

“I didn’t do well at the Asian Championships in China. In order to qualify for the Asian Games, you have to earn your spot through the Asian meet,” he said.

The gymnast is zeroing in on two disciplines as he chases a place in the finals.

“I’m focusing on the vault and parallel bars. My main goal here is to perform well and make it to the finals,” he said.

“This is my first Commonwealth Games, and I’m really looking forward to giving it my best and avoiding any mistakes. I am still adapting to the hall and the apparatus, so right now we are just focusing on ourselves.”

Looking back at his Asian Championships campaign, Chun Chen said consistency in technique remains his biggest takeaway – and for now, his focus stays firmly on the present.

“What I learned from the Asian trip is that I need to stay consistent with my technique. “After these Commonwealth Games, I don’t think there are any other major competitions coming up right away.

“I’m not entirely sure what my coach has planned for me next, so I’ll just take it one step at a time and see how it goes,” he said.

Besides Chun Chen, the national men’s squad comprises Mohd Sharul Aimy and Luqman Al Hafiz Zulfa, while the women’s challenge will be led by Rachel Yeoh Li Wen, Yeap Kang Xian and Cadence Teh Zing Yi.