Wushu: Fong Ying puts aside studies to create history at Asian meet

PETALING JAYA: A decision to sacrifice her semester studies paid off for wushu exponent Chai Fong Ying when she became the first Malaysian woman to bag a gold medal in the Asian Championships in Macau.

In the championships, which ended on Sunday, the 22-year-old emerged as the joint champion with Japan's Miyaoka Ai after both earned 9.61 for their performances in women's taijijian (taiji sword).

Fong Ying: Won gold in the taijijian at the Asian Championships.

Malaysia also won two silver and three bronze medals in the four-day championships.

The silver medallists were Loh Jack Chang (men's taijiquan) and Tai Cheau Xuen (women's nangun).

National junior Cheau Xuen won two bronze medals – in nanquan (southern style boxing) and nandao (sword). She was the only Malaysian exponent to win medals in all the events she took part in. Chai Fong Wei, the younger sister of Fong Ying, bagged the other bronze in women's gunshu.

For Fong Ying, the gold medal-winning effort in the championships held once every four years earned her the distinction of joining former top male exponent Ho Ro Bin in chalking a collection of gold medals in the world and Asian championships, Asian Games and SEA Games.

Incidentally, Ro Bin succeeded in winning gold in his last appearance in the Asian championships in Myanmar in 2004.

Fong Ying was also the only Malaysian gold medallist in the world championships in Beijing last year – in the taijiquan event.

She also emerged as the first-ever Malaysian woman exponent to win gold in the SEA Games last year when she won the combined taijiquan and taijijian competition.

“I did not win anything in my first participation in the Asian championships in Myanmar. I was starting out that time,” said Fong Ying.

“I am happy with my performance as I beat the Japanese competitor for the second time. I also beat her to the gold medal in the Doha Asian Games (in 2006)”.

The gold medal in the Asian championships will be worth RM40,000 under the National Sports Council (NSC) incentive scheme.

Fong Ying, who put off her studies in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) on hold to prepare for the championships, now has a chance to go one step better than Ro Bin when she competes in the world tournament in Beijing in August.

The event will be run concurrently with the Beijing Olympics and Fong Ying is among the seven Malaysians who have qualified to compete.

“This is my next aim. I will resume my studies after August because I want to prepare well for thet tournament. I want to bring back the gold medal,” said Fong Ying.