SEA Games: Lone female wushu player carries flag for Malaysia

Determination: Sydney Chin, the only woman in the Malaysian wushu team to the Philippines SEA Games has set her eyes on a golden debut. Azman Ghani / The Star

MANILA, Philippines–She is the only rose among the thorns but Malaysia’s Sydney Chin can count on calming advice from her more illustrious seniors back home as she goes hunting for medal at the Philippines SEA Games.

The 20-year-old from Malacca is the only woman in the small five-person Malaysian wushu team for the Games.

Malaysia had no choice but to send such a small representation as the hosts have scrapped seven out of the nine events contested in the women’s competition at the last Games in Kuala Lumpur two years ago.

Only two events for women – taijijuan and taijijian (taiji sword) – will be contested in Manila. Sydney, the 2016 World Taijiquan Championships double gold medallist, will fly the flag for Malaysia.

Malaysia cannot count on the services of Tan Cheong Min and Phoon Eyin, who have won world titles in nanquan (long fists) and jiangshu (sword) respectively.

The other four male exponents going are Wong Weng Son, Yeap Wai Kin, Chuah Shangyang and Loh Choon How.

“I am a bit scared but excited at the same time… being the only woman exponent and going for my first SEA Games.

“But my teammates who have much more experience than me with the national team have given me good advice. They have asked me not to worry and I can reach out to them at the same time. A lot of factors will be outside our control and they just told me to focus on my performance and not to pressure myself.

“I will try my best to get a medal. I feel the chance is there although it’s going to be very tough as the standards of wushu in South-East Asia are high.

“The Philippines also have a good taiji exponent (in 2018 Asian Games bronze medalist Agatha Wong) and she will be the favorite as they have the home-ground advantage, ” said Sydney, who previously trained in changquan before switching to the taiji discipline six years ago.

At the KL SEA Games, Malaysia returned with their best-ever outing of six golds, five silvers and three bronzes under coach Lim Yew Fai.

Yew Fai and former Asian Games gold medallist Mao Yaqi of China are the coaches for the SEA Games.

Despite the extra coaching force, Malaysia can obviously not repeat the golden outing.

They will, in fact, do well to keep in mind what happened in 2005 when the Philippines last hosted the SEA Games. Malaysia did not win a single gold medal and came home with two silvers and three bronzes.