WUSHU

National Wushu Championships 2007
Tuesday, 17 April 2007 at Toa Payoh Sports Hall

Story and pictures by Leslie Tan. © Red Sports/soulbreath pictures

The Nanyang Girls’ Group Weapon ‘B’ team emerged champions of their category when they edged out Chung Cheng High. The Nanyang team received a score of 8.15 while Chung Cheng High managed 8.08. Manjusri Secondary came in third with a score of 8.01 while Dunman High finished fourth with 8.00.

A Nanyang Wushu exponent in action during her team’s Group Weapon routine. © Leslie Tan/Red Sports

In the ‘B’ Boys Group Weapon category, Ping Yi Secondary emerged champions with a score of 8.35, beating out Chung Cheng High who scored 8.23. Orchid Park Secondary finished third while Catholic High were fourth.

The Ping Yi ‘B’ boys team show off their Group Weapon routine for the judges. © Leslie Tan/Red Sports

This was the first time I had the privilege of watching a Wushu event and was pleasantly surprised to bump into Jivaandrran Pillay of Pei Hwa Secondary. I asked Jivaan, a 13-year-old Secondary Three student, why he was attracted to the sport of Wushu. "Other CCAs were boring! Wushu most exciting! My friends joined, so I joined. It has helped me to increase my stamina and get fit." When I asked him further about the benefits of the sport, he said: "I learnt how to take the stress of competition." When asked to recall his proudest moment, Jivaan added further: "My best moment was last week when I placed 10th out of 26 boys in the individual category. My score was 8.10, my highest ever score."

A student from Orchid Park Secondary during her team’s Group Weapon category routine. © Leslie Tan/Red Sports

I caught up with the winning ‘B’ girls team from Nanyang for a post-event chat. The team, comprising Captain Chan Shing Wai, Deborah Yan, Chia Bih Yee, Pang Si Ling, Yeo Chun Hing and Clarisse Look, told me that this was their first time participating as a team. "We train every day for two hours, except Sunday," they told me. "The hardest thing for the Group Weapon category is to coordinate as a team." When I asked them who their strongest competitors were, they said without hesitation, "Chung Cheng, Manjusri and Dunman." But when I asked them whether they expected to win, they said "We more or less expected to win." Well, they certainly did and deserved their victory.

The individual events were held last week and I also managed to catch up with two Wushu exponents from National Junior College, Sim Shi Kai and Liu Chang. Shi Kai won the ‘A’ Division Duan Nanquan, Duan Broadsword and Duan Cudgel categories and has been practising Wushu for five years already. "It’s both an art and a sport which makes it more interesting," said Shi Kai when asked what he liked about the sport.

Sim Shi Kai (left) and Liu Chang of National Junior college during the medal presentation ceremony. © Leslie Tan/Red Sports

Liu Chang also won 3 individual medals in the Changquan, Sword and Spear categories. "My mother was a wushu teacher and when I was a child, she would bring me to watch older wushu exponents. I was very much influenced by that experience growing up." When I asked both of them whether they ever thought of representing Singapore at the SEA Games, they modestly replied that they haven’t reached that standard and have never even thought of that. Well, congratulations to the both of you for doing so well at this year’s championships.

Other Group Weapon category results:

‘C’ Division

Boys

1st Chung Cheng High
2nd River Valley High
3rd Yuying Secondary
4th Anglican High

Girls

1st Nanyang Girls’ High
2nd Dunman High
3rd River Valley High

Editor’s note: If you were there and would like to tell us more about your event, please email us and we’ll post your story. Also if you recognize yourself in the pictures, please let us know your names and we’ll update the captions. More action shots in the picture gallery too! Enjoy!