Steph’s The Real Deal After Tremendous Triple Treat In Wushu

By Ahmad Nazrin Syahmi Mohamad Arif

KUCHING, Aug 16 (Bernama) -- From never having won a single gold in her last three Malaysia Games (SUKMA) appearances to striking it right three times in a single edition, Sarawak wushu exponent Stephanie Ngu Chai Ern has a lot to be proud of.

Stephanie was beaming after her tremendous triple gold achievement, especially since these victories could help the Land of the Hornbills emerge as overall champions in the 2024 edition of the biennial Games.

“I feel very proud because I managed to get three golds for Sarawak. All I wanted was to do my best and be consistent. I’ve been training hard and staying strong, and it’s all paid off in this year’s edition, which will be my last SUKMA,” she told reporters after the medal presentation ceremony.

Standing tall on the podium, Stephanie was proud as a peacock as she received her medal from Sarawak Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

With her SUKMA journey coming to a close, the 20-year-old Stephanie hopes her success will inspire the other athletes in the Sarawak contingent to rise to the occasion and encourage younger wushu exponents in the state to step up to the plate.

Stephanie had earlier clinched her third gold when she emerged triumphant in the women’s qiangshu final with the highest score of 9.606 points.

The victory makes Stephanie the athlete with the most number of gold medals, so far, at SUKMA 2024.

Her other two gold medals came from changquan on Wednesday (Aug 14) and jianshu yesterday (Aug 15).

In her previous three SUKMA appearances, Stephanie won two bronzes in the 2016 edition, a silver in the 2018 edition and a bronze (again) in the 2022 edition.

-- BERNAMA