Benny Chong (sixth right) and (from fourth left) Lau, Ling and Tsan with the Southern Zone wushu team members in a group photo-call.
KUCHING (Jan 6): The Southern Zone wushu team are gunning for a good outing in Sukan Sarawak (SUKSAR) III in Sibu from Jan 15-17.
Team manager Benny Chong told The Borneo Post yesterday that they are sending 19 athletes and three coaches for the taolu and sanda events which will be competed at Wong Nai Siong Secondary School.
Male athletes lined up for the taolu competition are Ryan Yu Chee Seng, Damlong Ng Mao Han, Elson Chong Jia Bao, Golden Sim Xiang Yu, Dexter Thian Shyan Khai, Angus Tan Yan Hong, Morven Phua Yan Hao and Chan Kang Yu while male athletes for sanda are Hiu Bong Shen, Muhammad Asyraf Khalidi and Joaquin Chai Xin Zhe.
Whereas the female athletes for taolu are Elizabeth Beckxia Albert Arick, Belda Chan Zhi Yi, Andra Chan Zhi Zheng, Carmen Chaw Jia Min, Ashley Yong, Amber Tan Ling Xin, Cherlyn Hong Jia Hui and Serene Teo Xin Ling.
Taolu coaches are Lydia Ling Ung Hee and Lau Hui Wei while the sanda coach is Tsan Nieng Khai.
“We have set a target of capturing five gold medals in Suksar III and if we win more than five golds, that will be a bonus.
“The athletes having been training very hard and they are eager and looking forward to the competition. This will also be a very good exposure for them especially for the new athletes,” added Benny who is Kuching Elite Wushu Club deputy president.
He is very optimistic that Southern Zone can do well in the competition given that a majority of the athletes have won medals in state and national meets.
Wushu is among the 13 sports to be contested at the upcoming Suksar, which also include weightlifting, cycling, basketball, volleyball, futsal, hockey, judo, karate, pencak silat, sepak takraw, boxing and taekwondo.
A total of 1,365 athletes from four zones are expected to take part in the Games.
Southern Zone (Serian, Samarahan, Kuching) are sending the biggest contingent of 376 athletes, followed by Central Zone (Sibu, Mukah, Kapit) with 361 athletes; Northern Zone (Limbang, Miri, Bintulu) with 344 athletes; and Western Zone (Sarikei, Betong, Sri Aman) with 284 athletes.
The Games aims to identify new talents in the state as well as to select athletes for the 21st Malaysia Games (Sukma) to be held in Sarawak this August.
Suksar III is only for athletes aged 21 and below, who have never won a gold medal at Sukma and have not been involved in any national-level development programme.