Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
PREPARATIONS haven’t been the easiest for the national wushu team going into the 31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Vietnam.
The national wushu team produced their best showing at the last edition of the Games with a haul of one gold, three silver and two bronze medals.
Despite no competitions for over two years, they have prepared four athletes this time around for the May 12 – 23 Games.
Mohd Adi Salihin Roslan, who won gold in the men’s nandao/nangun combined event in 2019, will be back for the same event as well as the nanquan event.
Hosea Wong, who bagged a silver and a bronze, has been listed to contested in both the taijiquan and taijijian events.
The other two, Mohd Safiee Shayferan Roslan and debutant Wardi Lachkar, will both compete in the men’s changquan, daoshu and gunshu events.
Meanwhile, two-time SEA Games medallist Basma Lachkar will miss out on the competition due to the A’ Levels.
The national wushu team normally spends a few months in China for intensive training ahead of the SEA Games but it hasn’t been possible with the COVID-19 pandemic.
National wushu coach Li Hui highlighted the difficulties faced by the team and is hoping for the best outcome.
“We had to stop training during the start of the third wave in August last year and only resumed to full training just about two months ago,” said Li Hui in an interview with BruSports News recently.
“We would train a lot more when we go to China and it helps to build our stamina.
“Regardless, we will go out there and do the best we can because we can’t do anything about COVID,” he added.
The team currently trains twice a day to push their intensity and to adjust quickly ahead of competition.
“It was been too long of a stoppage and we need to recover quickly,” said Li Hui.
“We have a tight schedule but we don’t have a choice. We will work to the best of our capability,” he added.
When asked on his expectations, Li Hui replied: “It is like as if we just restarted. We can’t look at the previous SEA Games as the benchmark now.”
