Nangunnanquan and

Taijiquan-taijijian Medals

for Mun Hua, Lee Yang

Malaysian male exponents Ho Mun Hua and Lee Yang turned up as unexpected bronze medallists in the World Games wushu competition in Kaohsiung yesterday.

Mun Hua improved on his performance to take third place in the nangun and nanquan (southern style boxing) combined event yesterday. The 19-year-old earned 9.64 for nanquan and his total of 19.25 pipped Japan’s Nakata Koki to the bronze medal.

The Japanese, who held a comfortable overnight lead of 0.12, scored 9.48 for a total of 19.21. Taiwan’s Peng We-chua won the gold medal with a score of 19.60 while Iranian Arabi Farshad took silver on 19.51. It is Mun Hua’s biggest success since he first represented the country at the 2007 Korat SEA Games.

The former Asian junior champion did not win any medal in the Games but continued to prove his worth as one of the upcoming talent, taking the gold medal for Negri Sembilan in Sukma (Malaysia Games) in Terengganu last year.

Lee Yang earned another bronze for Malaysia in the men’s taijiquan and taijijian combined event. Lee Yang, who has been in the national squad for four years, earned 9.56 in taijiquan to finish with a total of 19.31.

South Korea’s Jang Young-ho trailed the Malaysian by only one point after taijijian (taiji sword) on Thursday but faded after securing 9.41 for taijiquan.

The two Malaysians in the women’s competitions, Chai Fong Ying and Diana Bong, failed to get among the medals. Fong Ying, the reigning Asian Games and world champion, scored 9.76 for taijijian and her total of 19.36 put her in fourth place. Diana, the world championship silver medallist, dropped one rung to fifth after slipping in her performance in the women’s nandao (sword).

The Wushu Federation of Malaysia executive secretary, Winnie Chin, said that Mun Hua and Lee Yang had certainly put themselves as prime candidates to make the squad for the world championships in Toronto from Oct 24-29.

“We will have one more round in our final selection. Although the two women did not win medals, they are still our main medal hopes in the world championships, which will have a bigger field of exponents than the World Games,” she said.