Joe Ee To Miss Hangzhou Asiad

KUALA LUMPUR, June 21 (Bernama) -- It looks like the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Ng Joe Ee won’t be dancing in rhythmic gymnastic event at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, slated to begin Sept 23 to Oct 8.

This came after the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) decided not to send Joe Ee for the Games following her unconvincing performance in the recent 2023 Asian Rhythmic Gymnastic Championships in Manila, Philippines.

Malaysian Gymnastics Federation (MGF) deputy president Kau Jit Kaur said Joe Ee had missed a chance to go to Hangzhou as she finished 12th in the all around final of the Asian meet and thus failed to meet the criteria set by OCM for Hangzhou.

“It’s a sad thing for Joe Ee. She deserved to go following her wonderful achievement in the 2022 Commonwealth Games,” he said after the meeting to select athletes and officials to the 2022 Asian Games, here.

Yesterday, OCM president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria said he had set strict qualification to ensure only top athletes get to compete in China.

Mohamad Norza said that athletes or teams ranked in the top four at the Asian level since 2018 are listed in Category A (fully funded) while those who achieved the top six positions compared to the previous top eight are listed under Category B (costs are covered by the association and refunded if they win a medal).

Despite making her debut in the Commonwealth Games, Joe Ee stole the limelight after securing two golds - in ball and ribbon disciplines - in Birmingham, last year.

In the meantime, Jit Kaur said they will try to discuss further with the OCM in a bid to help Joe Ee secure her ticket to Hangzhou.

However, Mohamad Norza when met after the meeting said it is difficult for Joe Ee to earn her slot in the Asian Games as the 17-year-old gymnast need to prove her mettle at Asian level first.

He said this was due to the fact that the competition level in Asian Games and Commonwealth Games is totally different from one another.

“In Commonwealth Games, they don’t have Japan or South Korea, so you cannot make apple to apple comparison,” he added.

Meanwhile, national women’s artistic gymnastics coach, Ng Shu Wai said 2023 SEA Games bronze medallist, Muhammad Sharul Aimy will have a chance to go to the men’s vault final of the upcoming Asian Games.

Shu Wai, who replaced men’s artistic gymnastics coach cum his brother, Ng Shu Liang, as the latter could not make it for the meeting said Muhammad Sharul has a potential to feature in the final after most of the top gymnasts will compete in the World Championships to be held in Antwerp, Belgium from Sept 30-Oct 8, which clashes with the Hangzhou Asiad.

-- BERNAMA