Thursday August 18, 2005
KUALA LUMPUR: Ryan Chong and Koh Jen Li are aiming for an improved performance in the Asian Junior Taekwondo Championships, which begin tomorrow in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
And they hope to return with gold medals.
At the last championships in Vietnam two years ago, Ryan and Jen Li were the only medal winners for Malaysia. Then, they competed in the flyweight category and Ryan won silver in the boys’ competition while Jen Li took the bronze in the girls’ category.
ALL FIRED UP: The national junior taekwondo team pose for a group photograph before leaving for the Asian Junior Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Wednesday.
Malaysia will again bank on the duo to win medals and they will be competing in the featherweight category this time. Both of them will be making their last appearance in the championships.
“I will not be eligible to compete in the next championships and I hope I can bow out with a gold medal,” said the 17-year-old Ryan.
“I will be moving up in the category of competition. I am ready and I believe I have a chance to get among the medallists.
“I am stronger, more experienced and more confident now compared to two years ago.”
The 16-year-old Jen Li feels that she has a chance to return with a gold medal.
“Two years ago, I competed against much taller exponents in the flyweight category,” she said.
“The girls in the featherweight competition are relatively shorter. This makes it easier for me to fight against them. It will be my last Asian Junior Championships and it will be great to come back with a gold.
“But it’s better to take one bout at a time instead of thinking so far ahead.”
The 14-member Malaysian team of seven boys and seven girls left for Almaty last night.
THE SQUAD
BOYS: B. Stahiyswaran (finweight), Mohd Hafiq Hazwan (flyweight), Ryan Chong (featherweight), Abdul Majid Mohd (welterweight), Jeffrey King (light-middleweight), Nicholas Nathan (middleweight), T. Janagaraj (light-heavyweight).
GIRLS: Tang Meng Poh (finweight), Nurul Asfahlina Mohd Johari (flyweight), Wan Nur Latifah Wan Mohd Yussof (bantamweight), Koh Jen Li (featherweight), Erni Syazwani Azman (lightweight), Nurul Afiqah Harun (welterweight), Norazlinda Mohd Johari (light-middleweight).
MANAGER: Dom Amy Hussain.
COACHES: K. Rajendran, Mohd Azlan Abdullah.
Source from http://www.thestar.com.my
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