First gold for Vietnam at 27th SEA Games

VIETNAM UPDATED. Wushu athlete Duong Thuy Vi won Vietnam’s first gold medal at the 27th Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar, triumphing in the women’s Jianshu on December 7.

Vi finished first with 9.70 points, closely followed by Myanmar’s Sandy Oo with 9.69 points and Malaysia’s Eyin Phoon with 9.64 points.

Vi won a gold, a silver, and a bronze medal at the 2013 World Wushu Championships in Malaysia last month.

Her teammate Bui Minh Phuong earned a silver medal in the women’s Nanquan.

Xuan Hiep was unable to repeat his 2011 silver medal performance in the men’s Changquan, placing third with 9.68 points. Myanmar’s Aung Si Thu won gold (9.70 points), followed by Indonesian athlete Achmad Hulaefi (9.69 points).

Nguyen Thanh Tung’s 9.54 points was only good enough for 8th in the fiercely competitive men’s Taijiquan.
vietnamnet.vn
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Giang Adds Second Gold to Games Tally

VIETNAM UPDATED. The wushu martial artist won her title in the women's changquan event, scoring 9.68 points.
Giang, 21, was selected for the team following her silver medal performance at the world championships in Malaysia in October.

Giang earned a perfect score in her strongest taolu (performance) category, leaving behind Yan Ni Tan of Singapore, who earned 9.60 points, and Thailia Lovita from Indonesia, with 9.59 points.

"I am really happy with my first-ever SEA Games gold medal. I am good in changquan, but I dared not think about victory before stepping onto the competition mat. I am really surprised about myself and this success," said Giang, commenting about her triumph after not winning during two earlier Games.

After nine years training in wushu, Giang has won more than 40 titles, but she said all of those can not compare with the gold medal she has now won at the SEA Games.

Also in this category, Duong Thuy Vi of Viet Nam came in fifth place.

However, on Saturday Vi won the first gold medal for her team in the women's jianshu competition.

In her third Games, world silver medallist Vi score 9.70 points to win.

Vi was the last Vietnamese athlete competing for the day, after teammates failed to come in first in their events.

She was under great pressure and performed better than expected.

"I was really worried and felt the pressure on my shoulders. My coaches encouraged me a lot, asking me to be free, like when I am training at home. It was an honour that I have brought home the first gold for Viet Nam at these Games," said Vi.

Earlier, Tran Xuan Hiep came in third in the men's changquan, and Bui Minh Phuong stood second in the women's nanquan event.

Wushu competitions will continue until tomorrow and, according to coach Nguyen Van Chuong, the team is expecting to win two more gold medals.

Yesterday afternoon also saw competitions in sanshou (combat) events. Nguyen Thi Chinh is the first Vietnamese to earn a final match berth, after beating Friska Ria Wibowo of Indonesia 2-0 in the women's 48kg class.

Nguyen Hoai Thu followed, after winning 2-0 over Myanmar's Su Hlaing Oo in the women's 52kg pool.

Earlier, their male teammates, To Van Bau and Hoang Van Cao, won bronze medals in the 48kg and 56kg, after losing in the semi-final rounds.

Viet Nam rank fifth with two gold medals, one silver and three bronze.

Host Myanmar currently lead the medal tally with eight gold medals, two silver and three bronze. Malaysia and Thailand are second and third, respectively. 
Source: VNS

Vietnam Wins Four More Golds at SEA Games

VIETNAM UPDATED. Vietnam bagged four more gold medals on December 9 at the ongoing 27 th SEA Games, putting it second on the medal tally with six golds, three silvers and five bronzes, only behind the host Myanmar .

Chinh defeated Filipino Divine Wally 1-0 in the women's 48kg category in wushu's sanshou (combat). While Thu won 2-0 over Evita Elise Zamora, also from the Philippines, in the women's 52kg class.

"We have performed better than expected. We won four golds in total, compared to a target of 2-3 sets before departing," said Le Minh Ha, head of the wushu team.

Earlier, two gold medals went to Duong Thuy Vi and Hoang Thi Phuong Giang in taolu (performance) events.

Yesterday also saw two silver and one bronze medals won by the taolu artists.

In the men's nandao event, Nguyen Quoc Khanh came in third with 9.67 points, ranking behind athletes from Wai Phyo Aung of Myanmar (9.69) and Mun Hua Ho of Malaysia (9.68).

Earlier, Nguyen Manh Quyen took second place in the men's daoshu event and Vi pocketed her second medal, a silver, in the women's quiangshu pool.

"The results of the team are what we planned at home, because all gold medallists are those who competed perfectly at the recent World Games and world championships," Ha said.

Ha said, during the last day of taolu event today, that the team is expected to win in the men's nangun and women's duilian.

Successful wrestlers

Doi Dang Tien won the first gold medal for the wrestling squad after winning 7-0 over Kritsada of Thailand in the men's 55kg Greco-Roman event's third match held in Yangon City.

Earlier, Tien, 22, defeated Margitto Argana of the Philippines, a former champion, in a 7-4 victory. Argana was the winner of the event at the two past Games.

"It is really difficult to talk about my feelings at my first SEA Games participation. I am proud and happy," said Tien, who lost during two previous Games.

"I was nervous when facing the champion in the first match, but I thought that nothing was impossible. I paid attention to the match and only thought of the competition, and then I won," said Tien, whose later games were much easier.

Following him, Tran Van Tuong won his gold medal in the men's 66kg Greco-

Roman.

Tuong trounced Lao athlete Khemthong 5-0 in the final match.

Yesterday's third wrestler for Viet Nam, Pham Sy Thu, beat Noelnorada of the Philippines in the men's 60kg Greco-Roman repechase round and took a bronze medal.

Viet Nam has won six gold medals and jumped to second place in the ranking table. Host Myanmar remains strongly on top with 11 gold medals.

Today, athletes will continue their competitions with all eyes on Nay Pyi Taw where men's football matches of Group B will be played. Viet Nam will play Singapore, while Laos faces Brunei in the afternoon.

In the morning, Viet Nam's Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister, Hoang Anh Tuan, and Vietnamese athletes will take part in the flag raising ceremony at the Athletes Village in Nay Pyi Taw. 

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Photo: Kicker: Vietnamese Nguyen Thu Hoai (left) takes a wushu's sanshou gold medal after beating Filipino Evita Elise Zamora in the final of the women's 52kg category at the ongoing 27th SEA Games in Myanmar.

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Source: VNS

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Phoon Eyin Creates History by Winning Country's 1,000th SEA Games Gold Medal Since 1959

MALAYSIAN UPDATED. Malaysian wushu back up squad exponent Phoon Eyin caused a pleasant surprise and created her own history by winning the country's 1,000th gold medal of the SEA Games since 1959.

The gold, wushu's third in the 27th Myanmar SEA Games, was clinched by Phoon from the women's Qiangshu gold medal at the Wunna Theidki A Indoor Stadium after collecting 9.67 points with her energetic performance, although she was not a target for a medal in the Games.

Her performance pushed pre-games favourite Thuy Vi Duong from Vietnam into second place despite polling 9.59 points for her equally splendid performance while Indonesia's Thalia Lovita Sosrodjojo took the bronze with 9.40 points.
In today's overall action, wushu picked up one gold, one silver and two bronze medals.

The silver medal was contributed by Ho Mun Hua from the men's Nando after collecting 9.68 points while Diana Bong Siong Lin (women's Nangun) and Ng Say Yoke (men's Daoshu) brought in the bronze medals.

A clearly surprised Phoo who made her debut, was not only jubilant but was in a state of shock when her score was displayed and later declared the winner.

"I am totally overwhelmed by the occasion. I really don't have words to describe my happiness. I just went in and did my normal routine like how my coach had instructed," said the lass from Negeri Sembilan.

"Since this is the 1,000th gold medal for the country since 1959, this gold medal, I dedicate it to all Malaysians and especially to my teammates and everyone in the team for helping and supporting me," said the Bukit Jalil Sports School student.

"My next 'gold' is to achieve good results in my SPM exam because to me studies and sports are equally important. I am actually aiming for 3As."

Meanwhile, National wushu coach Yoong Thong Foong said he too was pleasantly surprised by Phoo's outstanding performance.

"Phoo is a very dedicated student and talented," he said.
bernama.com.my

Wushu Kicks Off With a Colorful Start

The first day of wushu for the 27th SEA Games saw six gold medals being contested at Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium (A). Competitors displayed skill, power and a colorful parade of wushu attire.

Kicking off the competition were the taolu wushu events. In the men’s dulian, which is a doubles or group performance with weapons, gold went to Myanmar’s duo of Kyaw Zin Thit and Wai Phyo Aung.

The Philippines trio of Daniel Parantac, John Keithley Chan and Norlence Ardee Catolico secured silver, while the group of three from Thailand – Baramee Kulsawadmongkol, Pitaya Sae Yang and Sujinda Sae Yang – secured bronze.

Changquan men took to the mat next showcasing fight-like movements with speed and power. It was a close battle as all three medalists were separated by only 0.01 points from each other. Aung Si Thu of Myanmar won gold with 9.70 points, leaving Achmad Hulaefi of Indonesia with silver Vietnam’s Xuan Hiep Tran with third.

The men’s taijiquan gave Daniel Parantac of the Philippines a chance to double his personal tally as he won silver to add to his gold from dulian. Taijiquan is a display of slow, relaxed but precise movements which looked almost like a dance in the women’s event as seen in Indonesia’s Lindswell’s performance that won her gold.

Women’s nanquan, which is vigorous and athletic with low stances and intricate hand movements, saw Malaysia score a double as gold went to Diana Bong Siong Lin and bronze to Cheau Xuen Tai. Vietnam’s Minh Phuong Bui took silver.

“It’s great to win the first gold for Malaysia. I started out feeling pressured because I knew what was expected of me by my country, but it wasn’t until I saw my score (9.70) that I realised I was in the lead,” said Diana Bong who last won gold at the 2009 SEA Games in Laos.

Swords were drawn for the Jianshu events, and Vietnam’s Duong Thuy Vi outdid her opponents who wielded straight double-edged weapons.

The afternoon session was dedicated to Sanshou, 48kg for both the men’s and women’s preliminary and quarterfinal rounds. Sanshou is a combat style, self-defense martial art competition. Athletes who make it through to the next round will have a one-day break to prepare for their semi-final bouts on December 9, and the final on December 10.

Wushu will continue on December 8 at Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium (A) at 9:00am with more taolu events and sanshou 52kg bouts.
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Singapore Wushu Exponents Bag a Silver in Changquan & a Bronze in Men's Duilian

SINGAPORE UPDATED. Singapore's wushu contingent won their first medals of the SEA Games on Sunday afternoon at the Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium in Naypyidaw, Myanmar.

Tan Yan Ni, 17, won the Republic's first silver medal of the biennial affair when she finished second in the changquan event.

Lee Tze Yuan, 23, and Yong Yi Xiang, 19, clinched a bronze medal in the men's duilian (barehand) event.

Singapore's medal tally currently stands at one silver and two bronzes.

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Wushu exponent Tan Yan Ni (centre), 17, a silver medalist in women's changquan, with men's duilian bronze medalists Yong Yi Xiang (left), 20, and Lee Tze Yuan (right), 23, in the games village after a day of competition in the SEA Games held in Naypyidaw, Myanmar, on Sunday, Dec 8, 2013. Singapore's wushu contingent won their first medals of the SEA Games on Sunday afternoon at the Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium in Naypyidaw, Myanmar. Photo: Kevin Lim
straitstimes.com 
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Athletes Hope for Successful SEA Games

INDONESIA UPDATED. Despite their lackluster preparation, Indonesian athletes training for the 2013 Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar say they are keeping their spirits high and expect to do well at the event later this month.

“I’m so excited for the Games, and I’m ready to fight,” Lindswell Kwok, a Wushu athlete, said on Monday after the team inauguration and send-off ceremony.

“I have to perform perfectly in every session to score the best. To achieve that, I have to stay focused and forget all the troubles, such as delayed salaries and promised bonuses for medalists, for a while.”

Lindswell staked her claim for a gold medal in Myanmar after winning the Wushu Championship at this year’s World Games in Cali, Colombia, in August and the Islamic Solidarity Games in Palembang, South Sumatra, just a month later.

“I’m trying to forget what I have achieved at the previous two Games and start a whole new journey. Just to remind myself to stay humble,” she said.

“It’s my fourth SEA Games. I think what makes it different is that I have become more mature and I am more disciplined this time. It’s good to be this way, especially given the difficulties that we have experienced in preparation. I see each obstacle as a challenge for me to aim higher and do better,” she added.

Indonesian swimming prodigy Siman Sudartawa also had to deal with the same bureaucratic farce most athletes faced of not getting paid by the government.

“The government has not yet paid my salary,” he said.

“They constantly give us false hope regarding the payment. We have lost hope but we just focused on our preparations.

“I had to use a lot of my savings to purchase everything I needed, including supplements. As a swimmer, I need supplements and apparel, which cost a lot. I’m thankful my apparel is provided by my sponsor,” the 19-year-old added.

But Siman said he would not let the disappointment drag down his target for the Games, where he hopes to win gold in the men’s 100 meters and 200 meters backstroke and the relay.

But this year’s preparation was completely different.

Siman stunned the country at the 2011 SEA Games in Palembang, winning four gold medals after dominating the backstroke events in his very first Games. He also set three new SEA Games records.

Earlier this year, he bested his SEA Games 100m backstroke record with a time of 55.6 seconds at the World Championship in Barcelona.

In the relay, he said, Indonesia hopes to add to the gold medal that it won in 2011.

“So you see, all these problems won’t prevent me from down my best,” he said.

Sports Minister Roy Suryo, who spoke at Monday’s ceremony, said the government hoped to see the Indonesian contingent return with at least 120 gold medals from 33 sports to retain the overall SEA Games championship.

“It’s been a tough situation for us, I know,” he said.

“You are all the best selection to represent the country at the Games and I offer you my congratulations.”

Indonesia is sending 621 athletes and 221 officials to the Myanmar Games to compete in 33 sports. The Games will take place in Naypyitaw, Yangon and Mandalay, from Dec. 11 to 26.

Noticeably absent from Monday’s send-off was President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who chose to skip the event for a retreat with his cabinet at the presidential palace in Cipanas, West Java.