By Ahmad Nazrin Syahmi Mohamad Arif
KUCHING, Aug 15 (Bernama) -- Selangor wushu exponent Mandy Cebelle Chen brought her Malaysia Games (SUKMA) journey to an emotional close when she captured two gold medals in her final appearance at the biennial Games here today.
The 21-year-old, who emerged triumphant in taijijian and taijiquan, said those moments were precious and meaningful to her as she has worked hard since taking up the sport.
She described the two-gold feat as a symbol of her success and the inner strength she possessed since making her SUKMA debut in 2016 here.
“Honestly, I cannot express it in words. I’ve been working hard since day one and, considering this is my last SUKMA, these two golds are very emotional for me. Ending my last SUKMA at 21 with these golds in Sarawak is very meaningful.
“These golds also have helped boost my confidence and also given me a lot of motivation because they also remind me how far I have come since my first SUKMA in 2016,” she said as she tried to hold back her tears when met after the medal presentation ceremony at the SSC Wushu Hall here.
Elaborating, Mandy said she took the bold decision of changing her whole routine, including the accompanying music, just three weeks before SUKMA in a bid to go out with a bang.
“Three weeks ago, I decided to change my routine 100 per cent. So, I found this music online, I edited the music and choreographed it from 0 to 100 per cent with the help of my coaches in the national camp and Selangor.
“Changing my routine three weeks before SUKMA is not an easy task. This challenged me both mentally and physically but, thankfully, I managed to get through it because I wanted to end my SUKMA with a big impact. To do that, I had to change my routine, upgrade myself in terms of skills and levels and I’m quite satisfied with my routine (today),” she said.
Earlier, Mandy, who is also a national backup exponent, collected the highest score of 9.606 points in the women’s taijiquan final to defeat 18 other challengers and become the first exponent to win two gold medals in this year’s edition.
Kwan Yong Xin of the Federal Territories took home silver with 9.600 points while Sarawak’s Carmen Jia Min Chaw settled for bronze with 9.573 points.
Yesterday, Mandy delivered Selangor’s first gold medal of SUKMA 2024 after dominating the women’s taijijian final with 9.603 points.
-- BERNAMA
