KUALA LUMPUR – The misconception of promoting obscenity has always had a significant impact on Malaysian dancesport athletes over the years.
However, these passionate dancers, who hail from the MY Dancesports Academy under the wings of the Malaysia DanceSport Federation (MYDF), have taken a bold step forward by demanding the same acceptance, recognition, and equal treatment given to other athletes, especially those from mainstream sports.
Speaking to Scoop, dancesport athletes Cherry Yeo Xiao Wei and Anson Phang Jun Keat said that dancesport athletes put in as much effort as other athletes who represent Malaysia and should be treated with respect.
“We, as athletes, put in so much work to elevate our performances before any competition, and it’s disappointing to see that we are not being recognised enough.
“We always tend to get scrutinised via social media by the public for the attire that we wear during competitions, and it’s sad to see that the public is unable to view our sport just as a sport,” said Xiao Wei.
“We all share the same level of passion to represent Malaysia. People may say that it’s just a dance; however, it would be great if netizens could understand that we also put in the same athletic ability when we represent Malaysia on a global stage.
“It’s sad to see that we are always being overshadowed by our appearances, and the public should change their mindset and respect us for the efforts that we put in to bring glory to the nation whenever we represent Malaysia,” added Jun Keat, who, together with Xiao Wei, had a podium finish at the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) Open Latin Youth championship in Kuala Lumpur recently.
At the same time, Ooi Ken Vin and Zoe Tan Zi Wei, who finished as champions in the WDSF Open Latin Youth championship, said that the government should give more recognition to the sport so that athletes can lessen their financial burdens to participate in championships.
“Honestly, we don’t feel like we are being recognised enough, as our sport is still not well-known in Malaysia.
“Due to the lack of recognition for our sport, we are finding it hard to take care of our expenditures, such as our travel, accommodation, and admission fees prior to championships, as we don’t have any sponsors.
“We hope that the government can take this matter into consideration by making the sport more recognisable, so that it can lessen our financial burdens,” said the pair, who are ranked 117th out of 700 athletes in the world for the Latin youth category.
Meanwhile, 14-year-old prodigy Abby Chai Zhi Hui, who burst onto the scene by becoming the champion of the 2023 Malaysia DanceSport Federation (MYDF) in the junior female category, said that she grew her interest in the sport from the tender age of seven and aims to continue her winning streak and win more medals for Malaysia in the sport.
“I have always loved and had so much passion for this sport from a young age. I have always admired watching many international dance sport athletes perform on YouTube, and since I was young, I have always had the dream to represent Malaysia.
“I have worked so hard to achieve my dream, and I have been balancing my study life and passion accordingly. I focus on my studies from Monday to Friday and attend practices on the weekends.
“I’m young, and I’m still learning a lot from my seniors. I will keep pushing myself with the hope of bringing more glory to Malaysia in the upcoming championships in which I will be participating,” said Abby Chai, who is ranked 20th in the world in the Junior II – Solo Latin category with 225 points.
The MYDF is the Malaysia National Sports Association governing all aspects of both amateur and professional dance sports nationwide.
MYDF was established independently and registered with the Sports Commissioner of Malaysia and is officially endorsed and supported by the Malaysian Youth and Sports Ministry, National Sports Council, and National Institute of Sport.
Recently, dance sport athletes Amy Kho Yien Xing, Eunice Ling, and Cordelia Wee kept the Malaysia flag flying high after winning three gold and three bronze medals at the 3rd Hanoi Stars Open in Hanoi, Vietnam. – September 6, 2023