The Sun (Malaysia)

Not horsing around

> SEA Games gold medallist Tan Fu Jie represente­d Malaysia in the pommel horse event

- PAN EU JOE

GROWING up in an average class family inTerengga­nu, national athlete Tan Fu Jie, who debuted at the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games last year bagged a gold medal and brought glory to the country. Besides bringing recognitio­n to his family, he also brought attention to pommel horse and made it a more noticeable sport. In addition to being a national athlete, he is also a psychology student at HELP University. on the television. I remembered watching a pommel horse competitio­n and I was instantly intrigued by it. I quickly ran up to my mum and told her I want to learn this sport as it looked cool. It became a personal interest for me. So she went and got a coach for me. Unfortunat­ely, at that time, I was considered too young and was told to come back one or two years later.

So, I would arrange the furniture around my house and start doing my own tricks. Finally, at the age of seven, I officially started pommel horse and ever since then, I loved it more than anything in the world. I have a fairly normal routine that I stick to. I try my best to train every single day even if I have classes. My training usually takes up to two hours.

If training goes well and I feel satisfied with my performanc­e, I will call it a day and head home to get some rest. If I’m not satisfied, I will practise a bit more until I get it right. Occasional­ly, my coach will come and witness my training sessions and tell me if I need to make any adjustment­s or improvemen­ts. Phobia: Cockroache­s (especially when they fly). Ideal day off: Waking up naturally without an alarm. Favorite superhero: My coach, Onn Kwang Tung. Holiday destinatio­n: Paris. Something you can't live without: Pommel horse. If circumstan­ces allow me, I will definitely continue to compete in competitio­ns and win medals for Malaysia as pommel horse has become a strong passion of mine. If not, I will just focus on my studies.

 ??  ?? Tan demonstrat­ing some of his incredible moves.
Tan demonstrat­ing some of his incredible moves.
 ?? ADIB RAWI/THESUN ??
ADIB RAWI/THESUN
 ??  ?? He is a psychology student at HELP University.
He is a psychology student at HELP University.

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