Wong Sam In won Macao’s first gold at the 31st FISU World University Games in Chengdu on Sunday. With 9,643 points in the women’s ‘nanquan’ kung fu event, she placed 10 points ahead of Uzbek silver medalist Darya Latysheva and 13 points ahead of China’s Song Cuifang.
The medal was Wong Sam In’s second at the Games this year. On Saturday, she nabbed bronze in the women’s wushu ‘nandao’ competition.
Three other Macao representatives have won medals as well. On Sunday, Wong Weng Ian came away with two silvers, in the women’s ‘jianshu’ and ‘qiangshu’ tournaments. Cheung Ioi Chit and Lei Cheok Ieong earned silver and bronze medals respectively, in the men’s ‘nangun’ and ‘gunshu’ events.
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At a press conference yesterday, in Macao, secretary for social affairs and culture Elsie Ao, expressed her appreciation for the dozens of local athletes competing and this years’ University Games, the Macau Post Daily reported. She congratulated the medalists and added some context to their achievements: “It’s not easy for athletes to juggle school studies and sports training,” she said.
Macao has 52 athletes at the games, competing across eight sporting events – including martial arts, badminton, table tennis, and swimming.
The FISU World University Games are held every two years, in different cities around the world. This year, the 12-day event is being hosted by Chengdu, in China’s Sichuan province, between 28 July and 8 August. Two-hundred-and-sixty-nine medals are up for grabs, in 18 different sporting events.
Organised by the International University Sports Federation (FISU), the games are open to university-enrolled athletes between the ages of 17 and 25 from more than 170 member associations.
