Bulgaria championships a crucial prep ground for state wushu team, says head coach

KUCHING (April 11): Sarawak Malaysia Games (Sukma) wushu head coach Yoong Thong Foong has expressed cautious optimism over the medal prospects of four state athletes set to compete at the World Taijiquan Championships in Burgas, Bulgaria, this April 23 to May 1.

Describing the global meet as highly competitive, Yoong noted that taijiquan has grown into a key discipline over the past five years, with standards improving significantly at the international level.

“This will be the fifth edition of the World Taijiquan Championships, and the level of competition is very high as countries have placed greater emphasis on the event,” he told The Borneo Post here.

Despite the stiff challenge, Yoong believed the Sarawak quartet Carmen Chaw Jia Yin, Serene Teo Xin Ling, Marcos Bong Wei Zhe and Elson Chong Jua Bao should be capable of delivering commendable performances.

“We hope they could achieve respectable results. Even if they do not win medals, the exposure and experience gained will be invaluable,” he added, stressing that the championships would serve as an important platform in preparing the athletes for the Sukma XXII in Selangor this August.

Yoong, who previously guided Malaysia in earlier editions of the championships, recalled that the national team had achieved encouraging results in past outings, including during the inaugural edition in China and a subsequent meet in Poland.

On preparations, he said training has been progressing smoothly, with all four athletes currently undergoing centralised training at the Sarawak Wushu Training Centre.

“Everything is going according to plan. The athletes are training hard and are highly motivated as they compete among themselves for selection,” he said.

He added that performances at the world meet would also be used as part of the evaluation process in finalising the Sukma XXII squad.

“We will assess their overall performance, including those who are not competing in this championships, before deciding who will represent Sarawak at Sukma XXII.”

According to Yoong, as part of Sukma preparations, the state athletes are expected to depart for China in June, with about a month of centralised training scheduled beforehand.

“This competition is not just about results, but also about assessing their readiness. From there, we will identify those who are capable of contributing to the team in Sukma,” he said.

Yoong remained hopeful that the athletes would rise to the occasion and deliver performances that should bode well for Sarawak’s wushu campaign.

“We hope they would not disappoint, and would do their best to achieve good results for the country,” he added.