KUALA LUMPUR — National rhythmic gymnast Ng Joe Ee faces doubts ahead of the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, following underwhelming performances at two recent tournaments.
Despite winning two golds in the ball and ribbon disciplines at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, the 17-year-old struggled at the 2023 Asian Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Manila in May and the 40th World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Valencia.
Malaysian Gymnastics Federation (MGF) vice president Petrina Low Lai Hun acknowledged the tough competition from countries like Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Japan, and China.
Petrina, who is also the technical officer delegate for the national rhythmic gymnastics team, said the federation is not expecting Joe Ee, who will be making her debut at the Asian Games, to win a medal.
Rather, they expect the 2022 National Sportswoman of the Year to improve her ranking, which is currently 53rd in the world.
“I will not talk about medals for Joe Ee, the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games are very different, the Asian Games have the strongest countries.
“The Asian Games is a higher level competition, it is very important for Joe Ee to get a good ranking,” she said.
Petrina added Joe Ee has a chance to pull off a surprise in Hangzhou if she focuses on improving stability techniques in training in addition to being consistent with her performance to compete against her opponents.
To prepare for the Asian Games, Petrina said Joe Ee will undergo a two-week training camp in Baku, Azerbaijan, from September 18 to refine her skills before arriving in Hangzhou on October 3.
Competing in the B category after her 12th-place finish at the 2023 Asian Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships, Joe Ee expressed her determination to bounce back and achieve a top-eight finish at the Asian Games.
“My target is to qualify for the final and I hope I can reach the top eight…I need to concentrate and focus on my training as my weakness is my toes.
“(At the world championships) I was not satisfied with my performance in the ball, clubs and ribbon events.
“I could do better, I will come back stronger, hopefully better in the Asian Games,” said the Vietnam 2021 SEA Games individual all-around silver medallist. — September 2, 2023