KUALA LUMPUR: A change in competition format for wushu may affect Malaysia's medal prospects at the 2025 Thailand Sea Games.
Organisers have decided to combine three events in the taolu discipline (bare hands and weapons categories) for the first time in the biennial Games.
In the men's taolu category, combined events will include nanquan-nandao-nangun, changquan-daoshu-gunshu and taijiquan-taijijian.
For women, the combinations are nanquan-nandao-nangun, changquan-qiangshu-jianshu and taijiquan-taijijian.
Additionally, there will be four events each for duilian (duel) and sanda (sparring), bringing the total number of events to 14.
With this new structure, taolu exponents may suffer from fatigue as they are now required to perform in three events over three consecutive days.
World champion Wong Weng Son said the national exponents must adapt quickly to the format change.
"We need to avoid repeating past experiences. Malaysian exponents have previously struggled to adjust to format changes, which cost us gold medals," said Weng Son, who won the men's jianshu gold at the Taolu World Cup in Japan last month.
At the 2023 Phnom Penh Sea Games, the national wushu team contributed two gold medals through taolu exponent Tan Cheong Min in the women's nanquan and nandao-nangun, along with two silver and six bronze medals.
Meanwhile, Wushu Federation of Malaysia (WFM) president Datuk Chong Kim Fatt said exponents must plan carefully for their events.
"We will try to discuss this with the organisers. If the format remains, we hope the wushu schedule will extend beyond three days so each taolu event can be held on a different day," he said.
"This will challenge athletes to manage fatigue and mental strength as they perform on consecutive days. It will be challenging."