GUANGZHOU, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- Veteran Wushu player Jia Rui won Macao the first gold medal at the Guangzhou Asian Games in men's Daoshu and Gunshu Combined on Sunday.
Jia, 23, a silver medallist at the 2002 Doha Asiad, scored 19.61 points to win the title for the broadsword and staff competition under the Taolu category.
Vietnamese Nguyen Manh Quyen ended the country's medal drought at Guangzhou to snatch the bronze with 19.38 points. Lee Jongchan from South Korea took the silver with a narrow margin of 0.04 points. Host China was absent from the competition.
"It's so lucky for me to win the first gold for Macao. The winning means we are on a new stage of the sports development now," said Jia.
"We also have gold hopes in other events like karate. Hope my winning is just a start," said the joyful young man.
Jia is from central China's Henan Province, which is known as the hometown of Chinese Kungfu with the world-renowned Shaolin Temple situated in its Songshan Mountain.
Jia made his talents fully played when he started to learn Kungfu at seven. Especially good at the competitions with weapons like broad sword and staff, Jia was crowned in a dozen of national and international events before he was recruited by the Macao Polytechnic Institute in 2004 and then started to represent Macao.
However, Jia was beaten by Yuan Xiaochao, who won the first gold of the Guangzhou Games for China on Saturday, to rank the second place in Doha four years ago in the men's all-round, when the event included the competitions of Changquan (long fist boxing), Daoshu (broadsword) and Gunshu (staff).
"This time I chose the competition with Daoshu and Gunshu combined, because the chance for me to show on the stage of the Games doubled," he said.
"It's not easy for one to participate in two straight Asian Games. I'm competing with myself. I know as long as I work harder than others, I will make it here," said Jia.
More than 140 players will compete for 15 gold medals in Wushu. China, who invented the sport, is seen favorite for the 10 events it will participate in.
The sport comprises Taolu (set routines), and Sanshou boxing (free sparring).
