| Fadhil Yunus |
BRUNEI Darussalam ushered a new sporting hero after Basma Lachkar won silver with a score of 9.54 points in the Women’s Compulsory Taijiquan finals in the 29th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre yesterday.
The national wushu exponent, who was making her debut in the SEA Games, reasserted the undoubted strength and quality of Brunei Darussalam, continuing the legacy accentuated by Faustina Woo Wai Sii in the Duilian event.
Brunei continue to be a strong force in wushu despite a backdrop of stern competition attributed by the excellent work of national coach Li Hui in nurturing talents from the Sultanate.
Basma, the country’s latest treasure, is a prime example that the country delivers great promise of making shockwaves in major competitions.
National wushu coach Li Hui heaped praise to the Brunei rising star who announced her arrival in the international scene.
“It’s a big achievement for Basma to win silver in the individual event,” commented the national coach.
“Basma and Guat Lian have seen vast improvements,” he continued.
“Basma is only 14 years and she also joined the training in China where she trained really hard. Most of the athletes have lost weight while training in China.”
The head coach added that Brunei’s improvement in their wushu performances have received notice from coaches and referees from other countries.
It was a perfect routine complimented with a combination of poise and balance putting her into silver medal contention with one more final competitor to perform a routine.
Meanwhile, her compatriot Ang Guat Lian finished sixth place after registering a score of 9.15 points.
Brunei Darussalam female wushu exponents also received training from a new coach known as Zhao Chunjie.
Philippines Agatha Chrystenzen bagged the gold medal after tallying 9.66 points while Singapore’s Ho Lin Ying claimed bronze after registering 9.44 points.
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