Ying Ting and Clement win gold in World Junior Wushu Championships 2012

SEPANG: Malacca already boasts one of the best wushu exponents in the world in Chai Fong Ying, who has won the world title three times and the Asian Games gold medal twice.
Should the taiji exponent decide to retire, Malacca need not fret as Loh Ying Ting will be ready to step up.
Ying Ting and Clement Thian flew the flag high with golden acts as the Malaysian wushu team returned with a 2-6-5 medal haul from the World Junior Wushu Championships, which concluded in Macau on Monday.
The 15-year-old Ying Ting took gold in the girls’ Group B changquan (barehands northern style) while 13-year-old Clement of Sarawak came out tops in the boys’ Group B nanquan (barehands southern style) events.
Ying Ting continued Malaysia’s proud tradition of winning at the world and Asian juniors. She was a double gold medallist for Malaysia at the Asian junior championships in Singapore last year in gunshu (stick) and daoshu (broadsword).

Hope of the nation: Malaysia’s wushu team showing their medals upon arrival at the LCCT after competing in the World Junior Wushu Championships in Macau on Monday. — MOHD SAHAR MISNI / The Star

Ying Ting was delighted to have pulled it off in her second attempt at the world junior meet.
There are three age groups in the world junior meet – A (16-18), B (13-15) and C (10-12). Each exponent is allowed to compete in three disciplines.
“I got one silver in daoshu and one bronze in gunshu at the last world junior meet two years ago. I finished fourth in daoshu and gunshu this time but I got a gold in changquan, which is perfect as I have to move up to the A category if I go for the next championships,” said Ying Ting, who credited her win to the dedicated coaching of Chinese coach Mao Yaji and former SEA Games champion Lim Yew Fai.
“I was selected for the back-up squad to train full-time at Bukit Jalil early this year and I’ve improved a lot. Fong Ying is an inspiration to everyone who follows wushu and I hope to be able to match her achievements one day, although our events are not the same,” said Ying Ting.
Clement, who is not from the Bukit Jalil programme, was a double medal winner as he also bagged a silver in nandao (swordplay).
“I did not expect to win the gold as this was my first world junior championships,” said Clement, who is from Kuching.
Yew Fai, who has been coaching the juniors for the last two years, was happy with the overall performance, considering half the 12-member squad were first-timers.
“We hauled in 2-1-2 at the last world junior meet in Singapore. We got more silvers and bronzes although there is only one exponent who is under our back-up programme at Bukit Jalil. This shows our juniors have the potential to go up although the standards have risen,” he said.