HANGZHOU — National female wushu athlete Tan Cheong Min is now aiming for greater heights to realise her dream of winning her maiden medal of the Asian Games in the nanquan+nandao event here tomorrow.
The 2019 world champion in the nandao event said she experienced a positive difference in herself which may be due to a weight loss after undergoing intensive training in Tianjin, China for a month ahead of the games.
However, what tickled the heart of the Cambodia 2023 SEA Games double gold medallist was that she only noticed her weight loss after arriving in Hangzhou last week.
“During our training in Tianjin (wushu camp) there was no weighing scale so we didn’t know our weight had gone up or not until we got here and everyone discovered that each other’s weight had gone down.
“I also noticed that my performance is getting better and I can jump higher because while my weight has decreased, maybe the muscle mass has increased,” said the 25-year-old athlete with a smile when met here.
Commenting on her hopes of reaching lofty heights on the podium in her second appearance at the Asian Games, the affable Cheong Min said she has a chance to bring home a medal if she manages to put in a perfect performance.
In fact, the success of bagging two golds at the Cambodian SEA Games, which was also her debut at the biennial sports event, also gave her confidence to continue her streak of excellence in Hangzhou.
“The SEA Games gave me the opportunity to gain new experiences and a platform that strengthened my mentality.
“After the SEA Games I think my mental (strength) is better,” she reckoned.
Meanwhile, Cheong Min shared that she will be wearing a yellow outfit when she performs at the Xiaoshan Guali Sports Centre here tomorrow.
“For me with a diminutive figure, I will choose bright-coloured clothes like yellow,” she said.
For the record, at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta-Palembang, Cheong Min finished the final of the nanquan+nandao event in fourth place behind athletes from China, Uzbekistan and Hong Kong. — September 25, 2023