Shin-ning bright
Wushu exponent Shin Ping wins first gold medal at Games
SI SHIN Ping is the son of a car mechanic in Melaka.
None of family members are involved in sports but his childhood dream is to become a wushu world champion by the age of 25.
The 16-year-old Shin Ping showed he is on the right track when he delivered the first gold in the 19th edition of the Sukma at the Perak Matriculation Centre in Gopeng yesterday.
A total of 15 athletes took part in the boys’ jianshu and the Form Four student of Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) showed his brilliant skills to register 9.48 points to win gold.
He made his debut in the Sarawak Sukma in Kuching two years ago by winning silver in the same event.
Sarawak’s Elvic Bong Qian Zheng settled for silver with 9.40 points while Terengganu’s Mohd Afiq Danial Mohd Firdaus Chua bagged bronze with 9.38 points.
Shin Ping was on cloud nine after he bagged the first gold medal in the Perak Sukma.
A total of 427 golds are on offer through 29 sports in Sukma.
“Never in my wildest dream had I ever thought of bagging the first gold for my state in Sukma,” said Shin Ping.
“It feels really nice. My parents and my two sisters are not interested in sports but I made my family proud with my achievement.
“The gold I won today will motivate and inspire me to continue to train harder to be a national wushu exponent in two years’ time.
“I want to represent Malaysia in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, in four years time. I want to a world champion by the age 25.
“Nothing is impossible. I just need to focus in training and also compete in as many competitions as possible to achieve my dream.”
Melaka were on a roll in wushu on the first day of the Games when they won three out of the five gold medals at stake.
Besides Shin Ping, the other gold medals for Melaka were won by Tan Cheong Wan in the boys’ gunshu and Tammy Tan Hui Ling in the girls’ jianshu.
Johor’s Lee Jia Rong won the girls’ gunshu event while Lee Hui Xian of Sarawak bagged the girls’ nandao event.