A chance encounter with wushu at her community centre led Ng Zhe Nin to Youth Olympic gold
Years before her Youth Olympic debut, Ng Zhe Nin was a curious onlooker at her community centre, captivated by other students taking wushu classes.
Ng Zhe Nin, 16, shows the gold medal she won in the women’s taijiquan combined event at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, during an interview on CNA’s Singapore Tonight. (Image: CNA)
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SINGAPORE: Ng Zhe Nin never imagined that watching wushu classes at a community centre would one day lead her to the top of a Youth Olympic podium.
While taking ballet and Chinese orchestra lessons, she found herself drawn to the energy of the wushu sessions at her community centre.
The youngster would often stop to watch other children practise, captivated by the elaborate movements, stances and kicks.
Her curiosity did not go unnoticed. After seeing her on the sidelines day after day, coaches invited her to give the Chinese martial art a try.
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Ng took up wushu at the age of 10 and never looked back.
“It was a really exciting atmosphere, so it really drew me in,” Ng told CNA’s Singapore Tonight, recalling how she first became interested in the sport.
“The club coaches saw me every day there watching. So, they decided to let me try out. And, here I am.”
Years later, that chance encounter culminated in a historic gold medal for Singapore.
The 16-year-old clinched the women’s taijiquan combined title on Nov 3 at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, becoming one of the first Youth Olympic gold medallists in wushu as the sport made its debut as a medal event.
But Ng was already making her mark on the international stage well before her Youth Olympic triumph.
In 2024, she won a gold and a silver at the World Junior Wushu Championships in Brunei.
She followed that up with two golds and a silver at this year’s edition in Tianjin, China, cementing her status as one of Singapore’s rising stars in martial arts.
But her rise to the top has demanded countless hours of training and sacrifices along the way.
YEARS OF PRACTICE FOR MINUTES ON THE MAT
To spectators, a wushu performance may appear effortless, with fluid movements, intricate spins and precisely executed techniques.
But behind those few minutes on the competition floor are years of painstaking practice, discipline and attention to detail.
“I’ve actually been training this routine for about two years already,” said Ng. “It’s just the same routine every day, perfecting every single detail and movement. Sometimes we won’t quite get what we are trying to achieve. It takes time.”
Her perseverance paid off in Dakar last week, where she emerged victorious after three consecutive days of competition.
When the final scores appeared, Ng said her immediate feeling was one of relief.
“Winning was a goal I set for myself going into the Games. When the scores came out and I saw the first place beside my name, I was like, ‘Yes, I finally did it’,” she said.
“I was definitely relieved that it was finally all over. It was a really mentally exhausting three days.”
BALANCING WUSHU, SCHOOL & TEENAGE LIFE
But chasing that goal has come at a cost.
Like many teenagers her age, Ng has had to contend with academic pressure, school assignments and the demands of growing up.
Unlike most, however, she has also had to fit hours of intensive training into her schedule, often at the expense of time with loved ones.
“It’s a lot of hours of endless training. So, it has definitely affected my time spent with friends and family,” she said.
“There’s a lot of academic pressure and a lot of school work and homework that I have to juggle. I have to sacrifice and balance out my time well.”
Ng hopes her achievement will encourage other young people to step outside their comfort zones and pursue new interests.
Having discovered wushu almost by chance, she knows how an unexpected opportunity can change the course of one’s life.
“It’s okay to not be sure of what you’re doing (but) definitely always have a mindset to try new things. You don’t know where you’ll end up with it. So, just go for it,” she said.
Following her historic Youth Olympic victory, the teenager is now looking to sharpen her skills and take on new challenges.
“I’m looking forward to improving myself because there’s still a lot of room for improvement for me,” she said. “As I grow older and move on to the senior categories, the bigger stage for wushu would be the Asian Games.”
Source: CNA/dn(oc)
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