Bernice wins gold, raises prospect of dancesport at home SEA Games
PETALING JAYA: National dancer Bernice Iu put on a stunning performance at the Vietnam Dancesport Festival to clinch gold in the female solo Latin event on Saturday (July 12).
After missing out on a podium finish at the World Championships in Germany last month, the 23-year-old Bernice outshone her competitors in the world ranking event in Ho Chi Minh City.
Abby Lo of Hong Kong took silver while Taiwan's Chen Jr Yu came in third. Bernice, who started her solo dancing journey a few months ago, was thrilled.
"Intensive training has really helped shape my approach, where I'm able to prepare myself better and have a mindset where I treat every round as the first round," said Bernice.
"And time spent with foreign coaches has also given me a better picture of my approach for tournaments.
"As long as I enjoy the floor, feel confident doing it, and am able to finish my routine, that's the best result I can ask for," added Bernice, who won silver at the Caucasus Cup in Tbilisi, Georgia, in May.
A day ago, dancers Ooi Ken Vin and Zoe Tan, both 19, took two silver medals in the Southeast Asian singles rumba and jive categories.
National coach Chua Zhen Fong believes Bernice's victory is another testament to the sport's growth in Malaysia, and hopes the 2027 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games will include dancesport.
"We've proven we can compete, we've proven we can host world-class events, and now we've proven we can win," said Zhen Fong.
"There's no better time to include dancesport than at our own SEA Games."
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