Wong dedicates wushu gold to late colleague

Credit to Author: Jeremiah M. Sevilla| Date: Sun, 01 Dec 2019 16:10:05 +0000

Agatha Wong dedicated her second Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) gold medal to an 11-year old fellow wushu athlete who passed away in a freak accident two months ago inside the national team’s dormitory.

Wong, 21, retained her crown in the women’s taolu taijiquan, giving host Philippines its second gold medal in the 30th SEAG via a 9.67-point showing on Sunday morning at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.

“I would like to dedicate my performance to my old teammate, Rastafari Daraliay, who recently passed away,” she said.

Daraliay, a junior member of the Philippine national wushu team, fell from the upper bunk of a double-deck bed while sleeping in the living quarters of the Wushu Federation of the Philippines (WPF) at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

A tearful Agatha Wong waves at the crowd after retaining her crown in the women’s taolu taijiquan competition of the 30th SEAG on Sunday morning at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. PHOTO BY ENRIQUE AGCAOILI

Daraliay reportedly returned to sleep but was later seen at around 8 a.m. foaming at the mouth. He was rushed to the nearby Adventist Medical Center but died hours later.

“This is for him,” said an emotional Wong, who beat eight other participants from six countries to snare her second straight SEAG Gold.

The College of St. Benilde alumna expressed her gratitude for her family’s unwavering support.

“I would like to dedicate my performance and this gold medal to my family first of all because they’ve been supporting me since December last year. They know what I’ve been through,” she said.

Wong will have another shot at a gold when she competes in the taolu taijijian on December 3.

“I don’t really expect anything. Every time I compete, regardless if its Asian Games or SEA Games, I just want to be ready emotionally and mentally, and give my best every day,” said Wong.

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