PETALING JAYA: Wushu exponent Audrey Chan Yee Jo (pic) is ready to step up to the plate in taijiquan following the retirement of Ng Shin Yii last November.
The long-serving Shin Yii, runner-up in taijijian at the 2009 World Championships in Toronto, has quit the national team after marrying national bowler Adrian Ang.
And the 19-year-old Audrey believes she can more than fill the void left by the departure of the 27-year-old Shin Yii. The other taijiquan specialist in the team is Chan Lu Yi, also 19.
Malaysia have done well in taijiquan over the past decade through three-time world champion Chai Fong Ying and Shin Yii.
With two major events this year – the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games in August and World Championships in Kazan, Russia, in November – all eyes will be on Audrey and Lu Yi to deliver the goods.
“Lu Yi and I are close friends. We will encourage each other to work even harder to continue Malaysia’s stranglehold on the taijiquan discipline.
“It’s a big responsibility ... but we’re up for it,” said Audrey, who was promoted to the elite squad in 2014.
The Sarawak-born Audrey did well on her senior debut – at the 2015 Singapore SEA Games – by clinching gold in duilian (choreographed sparring) with Lu Yi and Aggie Cheah.
She also finished fourth in the compulsory taijiquan.
Audrey’s breakthrough came last October when she claimed two golds and a silver in the World Taijiquan Championships in Warsaw, Poland.
“The results in Poland were very encouraging ... a big stepping stone. I gained a lot of confidence there,” she said.
“It’s not the results that pleased me ... it was the recognition of the judges that was very fulfilling.”
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