Singapore’s wushu exponents shine on home soil with five golds at World Taijiquan Championships

SINGAPORE: Having competed at six Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, three Asian Games and other international meets, wushu exponent Vera Tan is no stranger to top-level competition.
But the 4th World Taijiquan Championships was one that the 26-year-old had been looking forward to and it will be one she remembers for some time to come. 
Tan clinched two of Singapore’s five golds – women’s optional taijijian and new yang style taijiquan – at the meet. She also took bronze in the optional taijiquan earlier in the competition, which was held at the OCBC Arena from Aug 24 to Aug 27.
“I … did not expect a medal haul like this. It’s something to be happy about,” she told CNA on Tuesday (Aug 27).
It was at the same meet about 10 years ago when Tan also won a gold medal in the optional taijiquan event.
“The last edition was supposed to be actually in 2020 … COVID hit so this was postponed all the way to 2024. I’ve been really looking forward to it, and I’m glad I managed to pull it off,” Tan said.
Rising star Zeanne Law, 18, won golds in the women’s optional taijiquan event as well as the optional taijishan. She also clinched silver in the optional taijijian.
Singapore’s other gold was won by Charlotte Ng in the taijiquan (39 movements) event. Besides the gold medal haul, there were also four silvers and five bronzes for Singapore.
In the three disciplines of taiji, taijiquan makes use of bare hands, taijijian exponents use a sword, taijishan competitors use a Chinese fan.
Speaking to CNA, Singapore Wushu Dragon and Lion Dance Federation CEO Leow Meng Hong said the target had been four golds and the athletes exceeded expectations.
“We wanted to have good results, we planned for it, and the athletes worked very hard for it,” he said. “We knew they we could achieve that, and they have produced the results.”
Singapore’s wushu scene has grown in the last four to five years, he added.
This is down to an increased talent pool, with more youngsters picking up the sport and competing at the National School Games and the National Wushu Championship.
“From these two major platforms, we scout for talents to come into our national team and train with the national team,” he added. “We see younger kids joining wushu.”
An example of this is Law. In November last year, she triumphed in the taijiquan event at the World Wushu Championships in the United States.
“(The younger ones) have been training really hard and putting in a lot of effort. You can see that over time, it’s been improving,” said Tan.
At the last edition of the Asian Games in Hangzhou, wushu exponents took home a silver and a bronze courtesy of Jowen Lim and Kimberly Ong. These were Singapore’s first wushu Asiad medals in almost a decade.
Said Mr Leow: “(The future of wushu in Singapore) is very bright.”
Old hands like Tan still have much to contribute as well. This was her third time competing on home soil, having won taijiquan gold at the 2015 SEA Games.
But a lot has changed since.
“I remember going into (this competition) super nervous, I was about to cry … It was really nerve-wracking,” she recalled.
“This time there was some pressure but I think I’ve matured quite a lot … it was a new experience for me – going up there and enjoying my (own) performance thoroughly.”
Tan’s career has been one of ups and downs, but her longevity in the sport is a testament to her determination and perseverance.
“Seeing the sport evolve over time, it’s nice that I keep on learning, and I think there’s always room for improvement,” she said. “I still love competing on the international stage.”