PHOON Eyin may have not won a medal on her Asian Games debut but the 18-year-old was still delighted with her performance yesterday.
A day after Tai Cheau Xuen delivered Malaysia’s first gold medal, Eyin could not follow suit after finishing fifth in the women’s jianshu-qianshu combined event.
Eyin only missed out on a podium place by 0.10 point after scoring 19.14 but it was not for a lack of effort.
“I’m very happy with my performance,” said Eyin, who memorably won Malaysia’s 1,000th Sea Games gold in Naypyidaw last year.
“I did my best and I’m not disappointed. There was a small mistake in the jianshu in the morning when I almost lost my balance but luckily I did not fall.
“I did not do my absolute best,” added Eyin with a huge grin at the Gangwha Dolmens Gymnasium.
Vietnam’s Duong Thuy Vi scored 19.41 points to edge Macau’s Li Yi to the gold by a margin of 0.02.
Eyin was briefly in third place until she was overtaken by eventual bronze medalist, South Korea’s Seo Hee-ju (19.24).
“I'm actually here to get experience because it’s my first Asian Games,” added Seremban-born Eyin. “I was also a little nervous but it didn’t affect me.”
Today, another two national exponents will attempt to win more medals for Malaysia.
World nanquan champion Ho Mun Hua will compete in the men’s nanquan-nangun combined event while Ng Shin Yii will attempt to defend the women’s taijiquan-taijijian title won by Chai Fong Ying for the past two editions.
Shin Yii won bronze in this event in Doha in 2006 but did not feature among the medals four years ago in Guangzhou.