From weight-loss plan to first ever Hong Kong wushu world championships sanda medallist
How combat sports on leitai helped Nana Tsang regain confidence in life
The 38-year-old veteran still has fire in her belly and considers 2022 Asian Games next target
Chan Kin-wa
Published: 8:00am, 9 Nov, 2019
Muay Thai boxer Nana Tsang Hoi-lan. Photos: Xiaomei Chen
Nana Tsang Hoi-lan was often called “a crab with soft limbs” in her younger days, a time when she had little or no desire to do any physical exercise, even though her siblings were active in sport.
As she grew up, her body expanded to the extent that, at just 1.66 metres tall and weighing 64 kgs, she was inevitably teased by her work colleagues.
“I sometimes fell down on the street when walking during my younger days,” said Tsang, now 38. “At that time, I thought I was simply weak and lacked body coordination, but now I know it was because I had lacked proper physical exercise.”
Working as a clerk in a sedentary office job up until her mid- to late-20s only exacerbated her weakness. “I finally thought enough was enough and started picking up sports, hoping it could make me healthier and at least look better. Since my sister, who is married to a Muay Thai fighter, does combat sports, I decided to follow her.”
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She started Thai boxing over a decade ago but did not have her first competitive bout until 2010, in shoot boxing, a popular Japanese combat discipline. She slowly gathered momentum in a variety of combat sports until last month in Shanghai, when she lifted a wushu world championships silver medal in the women’s sanda under-60kg category, the first ever sanda medal for Hong Kong.
Sanda is one of two streams in wushu, a modern unarmed combat sport developed from traditional wushu techniques, primarily making use of punching, kicking, throwing, wrestling and defensive techniques. It is also contested in major multi-sport events such as the Southeast Asian Games and the Asian Games.
Muay Thai boxer Nana Tsang Hoi-lan.
“Hong Kong have been doing very well in taolu the other stream of wushu, and have produced many world champions over the years, but this is the first time we came back with a sanda medal,” said Tsang who cherishes the moments when she won two bouts in Shanghai to reach the final, where she lost to the champion, mainlander Qi Yumei.
“The team was already thrilled when I beat an Austrian athlete in the first round to move to the medal match. It’s the result they have been looking for over many years, not only a strong boost for my own career but also for a minor discipline that needs to attract more young athletes to take up the baton.”
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Muay Thai boxer Nana Tsang Hoi-lan.
It is the second time Tsang has competed at the world championships. She was at the 2015 worlds in Indonesia, but was stopped in the first round.
While many people consider combat sports very dangerous and crude and therefore not suitable for females, Tsang does not agree.
“Any sport has potential danger, but if you follow the rules, you have less chance of exposure to danger,” she said. “Combat sports are exciting for obvious reasons, and, in sanda, we can win by a knockout, but more often we win by scoring points through hitting the legitimate parts of your opponents, such as head, trunk [including chest, abdomen, waist and back], and the legs. You don’t have to beat your opponent to death. After all, we have to wear protective gear, such as head guard, chest protector, gloves and mouth guard during a match.
“You may get some nasty bruises if you are hit, and your face will look terrible because you sweat a lot during competition.”
Muay Thai boxer Nana Tsang Hoi-lan.
Tsang lacked self confidence when she was young, but that changed after she picked up combat sports, especially when she walks on to the leitai, an elevated platform where bouts take place.
“I enjoy the moments of being on the leitai, where the spotlight is all on you,” said Tsang. “I have spent a lot of effort over the years to overcome challenges. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose, but it gives me the courage to deal with them.
“Even if you lose in the end, you still win something. You can have a fitter body and a better mental outlook. You gain a lot of experience dealing with different people, both on and off the leitai.
“Of course, you can also learn this through practising other sports, but combat sports are exciting and not as boring as running on the track or swimming in the pool. You can enjoy great satisfaction when you evade the attack of your opponents and fight back with a successful hit.”
With her silver medal from Shanghai, Tsang will soon be eligible for elite training grant support awarded by the Sports Institute, which should keep her focused and provide her with a full-time career.
Muay Thai boxer Nana Tsang Hoi-lan.
“We have been on our own for a long time because we didn’t achieve the required benchmark,” she said. “I have to work as a coach in different combat sports to support my athletics career, but this is going to change. Support from the Sports Institute means more than just financial backing. Sports science and sports medicine services also available, and this is important especially when we get injured. I am so happy the hard work over these years is paying off.”
Tsang will now focus on next year’s World Cup in Australia, with the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou possibly her final target. “Yes, I will be 40 by then, but if there is no age limit in sanda set by the organisers, I definitely want to start in Hangzhou to strive for more honours for Hong Kong,” she said. “I still feel the energy and have the spirit to fight on the leitai for a couple more years.”
Nana Tsang’s major achievements
2016 – 6th TAFISA Games silver medal (Muay Thai)
2016 – World Cup Sanda bronze medal
2015 – IFMA Royal World Cup bronze medal
2014-15 – Hong Kong Muay Thai champion
2013-16 – Hong Kong Wushu champions (Sanshou)
2010-13 – Hong Kong Energy Fight champion
This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: From shedding weight to a milestone for HK in wushu
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