Repeat your feat in Pahang, Lee tells wushu team

by Ting Ting Hee, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on March 21, 2014, Friday

KUCHING: Assistant Sports Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin has challenged the state’s wushu exponents bound for Sukma XVII wushu competition in Perlis from June 2-4 to repeat their feat in the Pahang Sukma two years ago when they emerged overall champions in the sport.
“We did very well at Pahang Sukma two years ago to emerge the overall champions and I hope all of you can go all out to capture gold medals and maintain our status as the wushu powerhouse in Malaysia,” he told the exponents while visiting them during a training session at MSNS wushu elite centre at Kota Sentosa Sports Centre on Wednesday night.
“Apart from the preparing yourselves physically, you must also be mentally prepared to face the challenges from your opponents whom I believe will be mostly national exponents who are more experienced, better trained and have the advantage of undergoing overseas training stint,” he said.
Lee advised them not to fear their opponents as proven in past games, national exponents could also be beaten because wushu is a subjective sport and points awarded also depended very much on not making too many errors while executing the taolu routines.
“You must also take good care of you health and train hard under your capable coach from China,” he told the state exponents.
Lee also reminded them that their good performance would not go unrewarded as each gold that the exponent wins will entitle him/her to a cash incentive of RM5,000 and RM7,000 for the second gold won.
Meanwhile, Wushu Federation of Sarawak (WFS) deputy president James Ting said the state exponents were all set for the challenge come June.
“Our centralised training is carried out throughout the year and with the arrival of the new China coach Yang Nian Wu, our training programme is well on track,” he said.
Ting said in preparing for Sukma, talented exponents were scouted from Kuching, Sibu and Miri and those from outstation were transferred to Kuching for centralised training.
“We have a better training venue now at Kota Sentosa Sports Centre since last September, which offers a better training environment for the exponents,” he added.
Also present were WFS secretary William Kong, MSNS Centre of Excellence for Wushu, Kuching coach Ling Ung Hee and MSNS wushu coordinator Thomas Chia.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/03/21/repeat-your-feat-in-pahang-lee-tells-wushu-team/#ixzz2xEV4AwYP

James Ting elected chairman of national wushu federation

Posted on March 14, 2014, Friday

KUCHING: Wushu Federation of Sarawak (WFS) deputy president James Ting was elected as Wushu Federation of Malaysia (WFM) chairman in a recent annual general meeting held in Kuala Lumpur.
To Ting, the honour was in recognition for the contribution of WFS to the development of wushu in the country.
According to the former WFS secretary, Sarawak was the first state to propose that wushu be included in Sukma and wushu was one of the events competed in Sukma 2000.
“We have the best wushu development programme in the country and have produced national athletes like Diana Bong and Loh Jack Chang who earned glory for Malaysia at international wushu competitions,” he said yesterday.
He added that Sarawak also produced top exponents for the national junior team who also helped to win medals for the country at international competitions.
“I also feel honoured to be given the trust to be the chairman which means more responsibility for me. I shall strive to contribute and help WFM bring wushu to greater heights,” he said.
Ting said his election to the office would also serve as an encouragement to Sarawak sports particularly in wushu as the state had a more important representation in the national body.
He is also the first Sarawakian to hold the chairman’s post in WFM.
Meanwhile, WFS president Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing was also re-elected as one of the WFM vice presidents along with presidents of all the affiliates of WFM.
Dato’ Martin Lim Soon Seng and Dato’ Lim Siew San were returned unopposed as WFM president and deputy president respectively.
The secretary is Yong Yii Yaak while the treasurer is William Chan Chin Yong.
Committee members will be appointed by the president, his deputy and chairman in a committee meeting later.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/03/14/james-ting-elected-chairman-of-national-wushu-federation/#ixzz2xETdtoJJ

WFS coaches get approval to teach wushu in schools

Posted on February 22, 2014, Saturday

KUCHING: The Wushu Federation of Sarawak (WFS) have obtained the green light from the State Education Department for its coaches to teach wushu in schools in the state.
In disclosing this yesterday, WFS secretary William Kong said coaches from its seven affiliates are now free to teach wushu, which is a school co-curriculum subject, in the schools.
“The affiliates are Kelab Wushu Serian, Kelab Wushu Sekama, Kelab Wushu Bandar Kuching, Kelab Wushu Saratok, Kelab Wushu Jelutong, Kelab Wushu Permai Timur, Kelab Wushu Sungai Merah and Kelab Zhong Hua Wushu Piasau,” he said.
Kong added that WFS has also applied for the permission to be given to its latest affiliate Kelab Wushu Satok.
The State Education Department introduced a new directive on self-defence classes in schools early last month that all associations need to register with the Department and apply for permission to teach self-defence sports such as taekwondo, karate and wushu in schools.
“WFS’ application in this matter was approved by the State Education Department in the middle of January and we have forwarded a copy of the approval each to our affiliates,” said Kong.
“The Federation welcomes and wholly supports the new directive and we hope that the State Education Department can go one step further by working with the official state parent body of a particular sport in selecting and allowing qualified coaches recommended by that parent body to teach the sport in schools.
“This helps the Department to be very clear as to who is overall responsible for a particular sport at state level.”
Kong said the coaches would have been vetted by the chief coach or a qualified examiner who is recognised by the national governing body for the sport.
“For instance, our deputy president James Ting, an 8th Duan practitioner, is the only examiner for wushu upgrading appointed by the national wushu body Wushu Federation of Malaysia (WFM) for Sarawak and Sabah.
“More importantly, by training under the recognised coaches, the students have the opportunities to participate in official championships organised in and outside the country,” added Kong.
“WFS would like to thank the director of the State Education Department Abdillah Adam and his officers in guiding and assisting the Federation’s members in conducting coaching classes in schools as well as organising competitions at divisional and state levels,” he said.
WFS was registered with the Sarawak Sports Commissioner’s Office in June last year and the Federation is officially recognised as the state’s wushu governing body by the State Education Department, Sarawak State Sports Council (MSNS), and the WFM.
For wushu students to qualify for national competitions such as Sukma (Malaysia Games), Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia (KPM) Wushu Championship, National Wushu Championship and international competitions such as Asian Junior Wushu Championship, World Junior Wushu Championship, World Wushu Championship, Asian Games and SEA Games, they must be a member of WFS affiliates.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/02/22/wfs-coaches-get-approval-to-teach-wushu-in-schools/#ixzz2xERZ51uT

State aims to top national junior wushu meet

 

Lee (centre, back row) presents the state flag to Ma (second left, back row) while (from left) MSNS    coordinator for wushu Thomas Chia, Ting, permanent secretary to Ministry of Social Development 

Affandi Keli, Kong, KPS principal assistant secretary (sports) Mering Wan and others look on. — Photo by Teo Chi Wei

KUCHING: Sarawak are aiming to capture the overall championship title at the 4th Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia (KPM) National Junior Wushu Championship at Stadium Bandaraya Johor Bahru in Johor from Mar 28-30.
The state’s challenge is shouldered by 26 exponents ranging from nine to 18 years old and they will be competing in the A, B, C and D categories.
Spearheading the team are 12-year-old Fu Wen Jie who has just represented Malaysia at the 5th World Junior Wushu Championship in Turkey from Mar 11-18, and Yong Arifah Khairul Kok, 15, and 13-year-old Felicia Ma Hui Qi who had competed in the 7th Asian Junior Wushu Championship in Philippines last August.
Fu has been entered for Girls C changquan, jianshu and qiangshu.
Yong Arifah will be bidding for medals in Girls B taijiquan and taijijian while Felicia will be competing in Group D changquan.
“We are not sending any Sukma or national exponents this time because we want to give the newcomers a chance to display their capabilities in the national arena,” said coach Ling Ung Hee.
The coach at Sarawak State Sports Council’s Centre of Excellence for Wushu, Kuching said the state juniors are all geared up to pose a strong challenge in this year’s championship.
Although Sarawak did not field a full team last year, they still managed to finish third overall with five gold, eight silver and 16 bronze medals.
They were second with 13 golds, 15 silvers and 5 bronzes in 2012.
Meanwhile, the Sarawak team, led by Wushu Federation of Sarawak (WFS) deputy president James Ting, paid a courtesy call on Assistant Sports Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin at his office at Bangunan Baitul Makmur in Petra Jaya yesterday.
Lee, who is also Assistant Communications Minister, gave words of encouragement and urged the exponents to do their very best for the state and return with top honours.
“Wushu has always been traditionally one of the top sports and we have achieved good results at Sukma and I hope all of you will go for gold medals and become the national champions to maintain our status as the wushu powerhouse in the country,” he told the exponents.
“We are hoping to promote wushu as a sport in not only Chinese schools but also national schools,” he added.
He urged WFS to expand their wushu development programmes to all schools in the state.
Currently, wushu is being taught in 78 primary and secondary schools in the state.
Lee later presented the state colours to the contingent team manager Jackson Ma and coach Ling Ung Hee.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/03/27/state-aims-to-top-national-junior-wushu-meet/#ixzz2xEO5VCmQ