Early switch from badminton to wushu leads to gold mine for Cheong Min

Roaring action: Tan Cheong Min competes in the nandao final at the Cambodia SEA Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. — GLENN GUAN/The Star

PETALING JAYA: Badminton’s loss is wushu’s gain as Tan Cheong Min remains as the sport’s successful star.

Wushu was not Cheong Min first love as she started as a badminton player but all that changed at the age of nine.

The unique fighting act which combines power, agility and graceful movements was enough to get the Melaka-born exponent hooked on it.

“I started out as a badminton player at first in my town Cheng but it was a wushu coach who pushed me and my brother Tan Cheong Wan to enter a competition as part of the school curriculum activities,” said Cheong Min.

With her two gold medals.

“They felt I had the potential and I later became a national junior and represented Melaka at the age of 12.

“I have always been an active girl and I was impressed by the acrobatic skills on display.

“I went for selection for the world junior championships and that was the first time I entered the national team camp.

“I took part in my first Sukma (Malaysia Games) in 2012 in Pahang where I managed to win bronze.

“Training with the seniors inspired me to improve my self and build the right mindset to succeed,” said the pint-sized fighter, who has achieved almost all there is to strive for in her discipline.

The 25-year-old, who specialises in the nanquan, nandao and nangun events, has taken gold at the 2016 world junior championships in Bulgaria and contributed silver at the World University Games in Taiwan the following year.

She also achieved her childhood dream to win gold in the nandao event at the world championships in Shanghai in 2019 and won a double in the nanquan; nandao and nangun all round events at the SEA Games Cambodia in May.

Cheong Min is looking forward to making amends for missing out on a golden opportunity to stand on the Asian Games podium in her debut in Jakarta in 2018.

“It has been a long, long wait to get the chance to compete in the Asian Games again and relieved that my events will be contested,” said Cheong Min, who will compete in the nanquan and nandao all round events.

“I made a mistake in my second event at the last Games and lost a chance for medal

“I did not focus enough and that was the biggest regret” said Cheong Min, who is currently with the national team in the training camp in Tianjin.

The seven-member strong team for the Asiad will travel straight to Hangzhou next week with the mission to end a 12-year medal drought.

Chai Fong Ying and Diana Bong were the last Malaysian exponents to make the Asian Games podium in Guangzhou in 2010. Fong Ying retained her women’s taijiquan and taijijian all round title while Diana bagged bronze in the women’s nanquan.

“I hope the month-long training stint will help me become a medal contender.

“The training is to help me become 100 per cent stable as we cannot make any mistakes at all,” added Cheong Min.