Indonesian wushu athlete Edgar Xavier Marvelo grabbed the first medal for the country at the 18th Asian Games, after finishing second in the men’s changquan competition held at Jakarta International Expo on Sunday.
Edgar, who said he came to the field without any expectations, wowed the judges and spectators with his firm and smooth movements.
The 2017 Southeast Asian Games bronze medalist was awarded 9.72 points by the judges. The gold medal went to Chinese athlete Sun Peiyuan, who scored 9.75 points, while Taiwanese Tsai Tsemin won the bronze with a final score of 9.70.
Edgar, who grabbed silver in the men’s daoshu at the 2017 Wushu World Championships in Kazan, Russia, said he was very grateful knowing his two-year preparation for the Games had finally paid off.
“I am speechless,” he said while trying to catch his breath. “I present this medal for my parents, my family, my coaches and also for Indonesia.”
The intensive four months of training in China helped him prepare for the games, said Edgar, as he said he was more focused.
“I tried not to look at my opponents’ scores before coming to the court as it would have made me nervous ” he said.
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