PHNOM PENH: World wushu champion Tan Cheong Min tried to go to the last two Sea Games, but she just couldn't get in.
The organisers said sorry, they don't have her events.
But today Cheong Min, 25, finally got the prize she coveted - a Sea Games gold medal.
The Melaka-born lived up to her top billing by winning the Nanquan, her pet event. The 25-year-old glided through her performance effortlessly to amass 9.626 points at the Chroy Changvar Convention Centre.
Indonesia's Tasya Ayu Puspa Dewi finished second (9.593) and Myanmar's Aye Thitsar Myint was third (9.143).
Cheong Min said the Nanquan gold medal made up for the disappointment of "missing from" the 2019 Manila and 2021 Hanoi editions after her event was not included in the Sea Games programme.
"I was quite sad when my event was not held in the last two Sea Games. But this time, I have the opportunity to represent Malaysia.
"I finally got my first Sea Games gold, and it's also the team's first gold medal in wushu in Phnom Penh," said Cheong Min.
"Before I came here, people said that it would be easy for me to win (gold) since I'm a world champion. But in reality, in wushu, everyone has a chance to win."
Cheong Min said she gave a flawless performance, and thus she avoided points deduction.
"The level of competition is quite high, but I didn't watch my opponents much because I was focused on my own performance," she said.
"In this sport, you try to avoid point deductions, and that you are stable with the difficulty level."