Tan Cheong Min defends gold, sends early warning to Asian challengers

National wushu queen Tan Cheong Min has reaffirmed her dominance by defending her women's nangun title at the Taolu World Cup in Haikou, China. The 27-year-old athlete from Melaka showcased a stellar performance, earning 9.746 points to clinch the gold medal.

She edged out Uzbekistan's Darya Latisheva, who took silver with 9.736 points, while Singapore's Kassandra Ong secured bronze with 9.723 points. This gold medal marks Malaysia's second in two days, following Lee Jia Rong's victory in the women's daoshu event.

The win serves as a significant confidence booster for Cheong Min as she prepares for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games from September 19 to October 4. At the previous Hangzhou Games in 2023, she won a silver medal in her debut. However, the Asian Games present a tougher challenge, as winners are determined by a combined score from both nanquan and nangun events, requiring Cheong Min to maintain consistency across both disciplines.

Malaysia added to its medal tally as Pang Pui Yee earned a silver medal in the women's qiangshu event with 9.726 points. The gold in this event went to Vietnam's Duong Thuy Vi (9.746 points), with Independent Neutral Athlete Aksinila Schukina taking bronze (9.723 points). Another Malaysian representative, Bryan Ti, finished seventh in the men's nangun event with 9.633 points.