KUCHING: Malaysia’s CMAA Northern Lion Dance Team finished ahead of higher-seeded teams from Indonesia and Korea to place sixth at the 2026 Sanya Cup International Dragon and Lion Dance Elite Competition held in Hainan yesterday.
Representing the country was the Chinese Martial Art Association (CMAA) Northern Lion Dance Team, organised by the Hainan Tourism and Cultural Bureau and sanctioned by the International Dragon and Lion Dance Federation.
“Despite being competition rookies, the Malaysian team delivered a commendable performance, outperforming higher-seeded teams from Indonesia — the 2024 Sarawak Open champion — as well as Korea.
“The event was dominated by teams from China, whose experience, technical mastery and lively portrayal of Northern Lion Dance characteristics saw them sweep the top five placings,” said a statement issued by the association recently.
Hunan emerged as overall champion, followed by teams from Guizhou, Fujian, Shanghai and host province Hainan in second through fifth positions respectively.
Team manager Ivan Lee Teo Heng expressed pleasant surprise at the team’s showing, noting that the squad was largely made up of young dancers with limited international exposure.
“Among them were 16-year-old Kong Wen Ying from St Joseph’s Private School, Kuching; Lee Kian Cheng, Jonas Chu Ting Hai and Vincent Wong Hung Jing, all aged 16 from SMK DPHA Gapor, Kuching; as well as Phang Yi Quan, 26, also from Kuching,” the statement added.
With an average age of just over 17, Ivan said the team possesses strong potential and significant room for improvement as they continue to refine their skills through higher-level competition.
Team coach Calvin Kong Ngon Chung echoed this optimism, pointing out that time is on the team’s side.
He observed that Chinese teams currently demonstrate a much higher level of technical precision and artistic expression, but expressed confidence that the lessons learned and experience gained from this international outing would accelerate the Malaysian team’s development moving forward.
