Fong Wei quits national wushu team after 13 years

Chai Fong Wei of Malaysia got bronze medal on on Women's Dao Shu category on The 12th World Wushu Championship on November 4,2013, Shahrul Fazry Ismail / The Star

PETALING JAYA: Exponent Chai Fong Wei has quit the national wushu team.

She is the second senior exponent to retire in a month. Ng Shin Yii called it a day after the World Taijiquan Championships in Warsaw, Poland, last month.

The 28-year-old Fong Wei, who is a changquan (long fist) specialist, called time on her 13-year career in style – by winning a silver with Phoon Eyin in women’s duilian (dual event) at the 1st Taolu World Cup in Fuzhou, China, on Sunday.

Fong Wei explained that she had made up her mind to retire two months ago due to her long-standing knee injury.

“I can no longer exert myself, so it’s going to be hard to remain competitive. My knees can’t take the rigorous training and pressures of competitions anymore,” said Fong Wei, who is the younger sister of three-time world champion Chai Fong Ying.

“This is not my first major injury ... I underwent surgery for a back injury few years ago.

“I wanted to retire last year, but my husband told me not to give up yet.”

She and her sister joined the national team in 2003. Fong Ying quit in 2013.

Fong Wei won five World Championships medals – a silver in duilian with Eyin in Jakarta last year as well two bronzes each in daoshu (broadsword) and gunshu (cudgel) in her other three appearances in Beijing 2007, Ankara 2011 and Kuala Lumpur 2013.

She is also a two-time runner-up at the Asian Championships.