A bittersweet feeling
Jin Kun has mixed emotions after solid outing with Khim Wen
PETALING JAYA: It was a day of mixed emotions for exponent Yong Jin Kun after achieving a first for Malaysia with partner Yap Khim Wen at the Asian Taekwondo Championships in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
The duo performed their way to a silver medal in mixed pair event on Sunday – the best achievement for Malaysia in the poomsae (non-sparring) discipline at the Asian stage.
Jin Kun-Khim Wen finished with a score of 8.23 for second place behind South Korea (8.33). The Philippines got the bronze with 8.19.
It was the second competitive success for the duo this year.
Jin Kun-Khim Wen became the first Malaysian taekwondo exponents to climb on the podium on American soil when they took gold in the event at the US Open in Nevada in February.
However, the success also comes with the realisation that the just-concluded Asian meet is prob- ably his last major event of the year.
Jin Kun will not get the chance to feature in the Asian Games in Indonesia later in August as the organisers have dropped the mixed pair event from the programme.
Poomsae is making its Asian Games debut in Indonesia but will only feature the team and individual events.
“We were targeting the Asian Games as we would have a chance if they had included it.
“But the mixed pair event was taken out when the approved final list from the host country came out recently, only leaving four events (team and individual).
“I was really disappointed at that time knowing my chance to go is gone but I am okay now,” said Jin Kun.
Malaysia will be represented in poomsae by Chew Wei Yan in the individual male event and Khim Wen (female).
Both were individual gold medallists for Malaysia at the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games last year.
Jin Kun was nevertheless happy to rise to the occasion in Ho Chi Minh City.
“It’s our first time together as a pair in the Asian championships.
“It’s also our best achievement for Malaysia in poomsae as I previously won a bronze in team poomsae (with Wei Yan and Kok Jun Ee) in the last Asian championships in the Philippines in 2016,” said the 23-year-old, who took silver with Khim Wen in the mixed pair event at the KL SEA Games.
I was really disappointed at that time knowing my chance to go is gone but I am okay now. Yong Jin Kun