National wushu exponent Loh Ying Ting.
PETALING JAYA: Wushu exponent Loh Ying Ting can’t wait to make her senior debut for the national team at the Singapore SEA Games in June.
After all, it’s been almost seven months since she last featured in a competition.
That was in August last year – when she ended her illustrious junior career by emerging as Youth Olympic Games (YOG) champion in Nanjing.
Although wushu was only a demonstration sport at the YOG, she still became the first national wushu exponent to have won every major event at international junior tournaments.
And Ying Ting is itching to get back into competitive mode.
“Having not competed for so long, I’m really looking forward to the Singapore SEA Games,” said Ying Ting, who is also fondly known as Panda.
“Like some of my team-mates, I’ve not competed since the YOG. So, the SEA Games keeps me motivated.
“But I’m not setting myself a lofty target as it’ll be my first senior-level competition and there’ll be so many formidable and experienced opponents there ... a podium finish would be a decent start for my senior debut.”
Ying Ting is right to play down her chances as she’ll be up against some of the best chanquan exponents in the region when the Games are held from June 5-16.
She is expected to face the likes of last year’s Incheon Asian Games bronze medallist Tan Yan Ni, defending champion Hoang Thi Phuong Giang and 2013 World Championships bronze medallist Duong Thuy Vi, both from powerhouse Vietnam, as well as Myanmar’s Sandi Oo, a silver medallist at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games.
Yan Ni, who was also a runner-up at the previous Games in Myanmar, will surely be the one to beat this time around as she will enjoy homeground advantage.
Malaysia have yet to win a medal from the event since Chai Fong Wei clinched a bronze in the 2005 Manila SEA Games.
The Star
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