Wushu wonder

Top of the world: (From left) Lee Jia Rong, Tan Cheong Min and Pang Pui Yee on the podium after winning the women’s duilian event at the World Championships in Brazil.

PETALING JAYA: It’s an unprecedented achievement indeed.

Tan Cheong Min has etched her place in history as the all-time best performer after leading the Malaysian wushu team to their best ever achievement at the World Championships in Brasilia, Brazil on Sunday.

The 27-year-old from Melaka teamed up with Pang Pui Yee and Lee Jia Rong to deliver a stunning win in the women’s duilian (sparring) final on Sunday. The Malaysian trio dazzled with an energetic, precise routine, scoring 9.630 points to narrowly edge out Italy (9.623) and Hong Kong (9.613) for the gold.

For Cheong Min and Jia Rong, the victory was extra sweet – both had already clinched individual titles earlier in the week. For Cheong Min, the triumph marks her fourth career world title, surpassing retired double world champion Wong Weng Son to become Malaysia’s most successful wushu exponent of all time.

Cheong Min’s golden journey began in 2017 when she won her first women’s duilian gold with Phoon Eyin and Loh Ying Ting in Kazan, Russia, followed by a nandao title in Shanghai two years later.

Tan Cheong Min.

Cheong Min had become the first Malaysian wushu gold medallist at the World Games in Chengdu, China last month.

Adding to Malaysia’s celebrations, Clement Ting, Si Shin Peng, and Bryan Ti Kai Jie secured bronze in the men’s duilian, scoring 9.613 points behind Macao (9.620) and Indonesia (9.620).

Malaysia thus finished with a total of five gold, one silver and two bronze medals to cap their best ever finish in world meet in the last 40 years.

The nation’s previous best achievement was winning four gold, five silver and five bronze medals when they hosted the world meet in 2013 in Kuala Lumpur.

“We are happy and surprised to win as three of our five gold medals came from debutants Jia Rong and Shin Peng.

“Cheong Min was very consistent and did not disappoint for Malaysia. Others like Clement and our woman taiji exponent Sydney Chin also did not perform badly but you cannot afford to make even a slight mistake as you will see points deduction in wushu,” said Wushu Federation of Malaysia president Datuk Chong Kim Fatt.