Asian Games: Agatha Wong eyes another podium finish

Southeast Asian Games – Wushu – Chroy Changvar Convention Centre Hall A, Phnom Penh, Cambodia – May 12, 2023 Philippines’ Agatha Chrystenzen Fernandez Wong celebrates winning gold in the women’s Taijijian during the medal ceremony REUTERS/Cindy Liu

HANGZHOU, China—Agatha Wong has adapted to juggling her time between training and medical school.

Although both are demanding, Wong prefers not to return home without a medal from the 19th Asian Games.

The country’s premier taolu performer will turn the mat at the Xiaoshan Guali Sports Centre here into her playground on Sunday when hostilities in wushu take flight.

“Training while studying has been tough. You have to balance everything,” said Wong, the freshman at the UERM Memorial Medical Center who is out to better her bronze medal in 2018 Jakarta.

The 25-year-old looker is entered in the women’s taijiquan and taijijian (sword play) all-around, disciplines she used to ace in the Southeast Asian Games.

“Again, I always give my best when I perform. We’ll see,” said Wong.

She won a pair of taijiquan gold medals in the SEA Games and two more in the taijijian event before wushu federation officials decided to merge both events beginning at the Cambodia SEA Games early this year.

Wong’s crowning glory was a silver medal in taijiquan during the 2015 World Wushu Championships in Jakarta.