Mun Hua 'robbed' of gold again

WUSHU will never make it to the Commonwealth Games or the Olympic Games if the sport continues to practise bias judging.

National coach Yoong Thong Foong said the judging in Naypyitaw is as bad as it was in the 2005 Manila edition.

Ho Mun Hua, a world champion in men's nandao, was robbed of the gold medal in this event when the judges awarded it to Myanmar's Aung Wai Phyo yesterday.

According to the judges, the Malaysian garnered just 9.68 points compared to Aung's 9.69. Mun Hua was also denied gold in the nanguan on Sunday.

"Mun Hua did not make a single mistake. He performed well but the judges awarded the Myanmar exponent higher points. It is embarrassing for the sport," said Thong Foong.

"Wushu rules are clear but it is the prerogative of judges to decide the winner of each event. One can't argue as this is a subjective sport. I believe the concerned parties should look into it.

"It can be frustrating for an athlete who does his best in an event but not win a title. We had this problem in Manila eight years ago while judging in the Laos (2009) and Indonesia (2011) editions were equally bad," added the coach.

But Thong Foong did not discredit Myanmar's efforts.

"Myanmar are strong but not as good as Malaysia. Judges tend to favour the hosts and we just have to accept it. Mun Hua should have won two gold medals here.

A disappointed Mun Hua, however, did not want to stir controversy.

"I did my best and was awarded a silver. It means I need to train harder for the next Sea Games," said Mun Hua, trying his best to be diplomatic.

In women's nangun, Diana Bong could have done better but a mistake in executing a routine denied her the title. The Sarawakian posted 9.49 points for the bronze.

"I made a mistake in the jumping routine. I was supposed to do it six times but managed only five. It was a spur of the moment mistake.

"I made the mistake because the rules here are different than the ones in the recent world meet, where exponents were not judged on jumping," said Diana, who will now shift her focus to next year's Asian Games in Incheon.

Source: http://www.news.myanmaronlinecentre.com/2013/12/10/mun-hua-robbed-of-gold-again/