Attack, Judo titanesses! Lingnan’s female athletes celebrate two golds
Among the nine awards the Lingnan University Judo Team won at the 32nd Joint College Judo Competition, Yeung Sheung-yu (Business Administration, Year 1) and Ng Chung-nga (Business Administration, Year 2) were crowned champions in the Women's Junior - 57kg and the Women's Junior - 48kg categories respectively. The pair were also second runner-up in the team competition.
The two female judokas were overjoyed to stand on the podium at their first-ever official competition and excited about telling us how much fun they get from judo, and how much they enjoy throwing other contestants and being thrown on the ground!
What made you join the Judo Team?
Chung-nga: One day I came across the Judo Team training on campus, and it was very interesting to watch them throw each other. What began as wanting to try something new soon led to my fighting spirit being ignited, from getting back up immediately when I had been thrown on the ground to successfully performing throwing techniques on someone else, I feel an overwhelming excitement and satisfaction, which encourage me to keep trying.
Sheung-yu: The Judo Team was one of the many club promotions I saw at the New Student Orientation. I had never tried the sport before, and when I joined the team I found judo very intriguing, both being thrown and throwing others. Although it may sound a little painful, it is actually a lot of fun.
Yeung Sheung-yu (right) and Ng Chung-nga (left) were both champions in the 32nd Joint College Judo Competition.
What is the key to winning in judo?
Chung-nga: I think strength and reaction are both important, since you need to figure out the counter-attack techniques right away.
Sheung-yu: I agree that strength is important. For example, if you are fighting an opponent of the same weight and you are stronger than she is, you may easily have the upper hand. Thus strength is key in judo, giving you an advantage in the push-pull set up.
What are some special or challenging moves?
Sheung-yu: I often attack with the “osoto gari” or “big outer reap” technique, which is normally applied from the right side. However, I like to attack from the left to catch the opponent off-guard and knock them down.
Chung-nga: The next new move I’d like to learn is called “tomoe nage”. I was once thrown on the ground by this in a competition, which makes me want to master the skill to defeat future opponents.
Which athlete do you most admire?
The two became friends through judo.
What are your goals for the future?
Sheung-yu: I will continue to train hard and, hopefully, participate in more competitions. I believe the goal of competitions is not just to win, but, most importantly, to gain experience by learning from opponents’ moves and how I get thrown.
Chung-nga: Same for me - apart from receiving more training, I also wish to meet more diverse opponents to broaden my experience.
What is it like to study at Lingnan University?
Chung-nga: I think Lingnan provides many opportunities, so newbies can try out different things. Like the fact that someone who has never been exposed to judo like me can also join the university team.
Sheung-yu: Lingnan is a great place to make friends and find companions while studying and developing my interests.
The cartwheel, forward roll, and back roll are some of their everyday warm-up moves.