Lao wushu fighters smashed their medal target yesterday, winning three more gold medals to add to their tally in the sanshou finals on the last day of wushu events at Lao-ITECC.
The first gold came from Khamla Soukaphone, who beat Phan Vah Hau of Vietnam in the 52kg category. Phoxay Aphailath won the day?s second gold for Laos in the 56kg category, defeating the Philippines? Benjie Rivera, while a third came from Bouapha Valasith, who beat Junaidi Sukamto Rahmat from Indonesia in the 60kg category.
The President of the Lao Wushu Federation Mr Oudomsak Oudomthongkasem expressed his satisfaction that the Lao fighters had morethan doubled the federation?s medal target at the SEA Games, winning five gold, two silver and 4 bronze medals.
?Wushu is still a new sport in Laos, after this achievement our federation will expand in Vientiane and other provinces to draw on more resources and train good fighters to compete in the next SEA Games and do even better than in this event,? he said.
The Lao Wushu Federation entered 10 men and nine women in the 25th SEA Games wushu events, competing in men?s and women?s changquans (long fist, broad sword play and cud get), nanquans (southern fist and southern cudgel play), taijiquans (taijiquan and taijijian), duilian (barehand and weapon) and sanshou in weight categories of 45 to 65kg.
Their current successes build on those of previous SEA Games competitions, where in recent years Lao fighters have come away from the events with gold, silver and bronze medals.
