Cheong Min eyes more history, and Merdeka joy, at world meet in Brazil

Hungry for more: The Melaka-born Cheong Min already has two gold medals to show from previous world championships.

KUALA LUMPUR: Wushu queen Tan Cheong Min can make history and bring Merdeka joy to the nation if she gets her act right at the World Wushu Championships in Brasilia, Brazil, from Sept 1-7.

Despite the absence of two-time world champion Wong Weng Son, the Malaysian wushu team are hopeful of grabbing several podium finishes in the biennial world meet.

Weng Son delivered the only gold for Malaysia at the last world meet in Texas, the United States, two years ago when he won the men’s changquan event but the experienced exponent from Negri Sembilan retired late last year.

Malaysia also bagged six silver and four bronze medals to place sixth overall in Texas.

The 26-year-old Cheong Min will shoulder the gold medal hopes when she competes in the women’s nanquan, nandao and nangun events.

Cheong Min is in a rich vein of form heading to the world meet after she became the first Malaysian wushu exponent to bag gold in the women’s nanquan and nandao all-round event at the World Games in Chengdu, China, two weeks ago.

Cheong Min will become the most successful wushu exponent from Malaysia in world championships if she makes it to the top of the podium in Brasilia.

The Melaka-born exponent already has two gold medals to show from previous world championships. She picked up her first gold medal with Phoon Eyin and Loh Ying Ting in the women’s duilian event at the 2017 edition in Kazan, Russia.

The cheerful lass collected her second gold medal when she won the women’s nandao event in Shanghai, China, two years later.

Weng Son is the most successful Malaysian exponent in World Championships, having won a total of two gold, eight silver and one bronze from 2015-2023.

Malaysia’s team for the World Championships will comprise four men and four women.

The male exponents are Clement, Wong Zhi Hong, Bryan Ti Kai Jie and Mohd Danish Aizad Firdaus Chua.

Cheong Min leads the women’s team, which also comprise Pui Yee, Sydney and Tan Jia Rong.

Wushu Federation of Malaysia president Datuk Chong Kim Fatt expects Cheong Min to have a better outing compared to her experience in the previous edition in Texas.

“She was not well when we arrived in Texas two years ago. She caught a cold and it affected her performance in the earlier events. To her credit, she managed to win a bronze in the nangun.

“Barring any unexpected circumstances, Cheong Min is very consistent and she should be able to bring good news to the country from Brazil.

“The good thing is the events are not combined at the World Championships unlike the World Games.

“We have three women medallists from the World Games going to the World Championships and we believe they will try their best to finish on the podium,” said Kim Fatt.

The Malaysian wushu team will be leaving for Brasilia next weekend.

At the World Games recently, Pang Pui Yee got the silver in women’s changquan, jianshu and qiangshu all-round event while Sydney Chin put her name on record as the first medal winner for wushu after taking bronze in the women’s taijiquan and taijijian all-round event.