Malaysian rhythmic gymnast Ng Joe Ee opens up about her journey to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, what motivated her to take up gymnastics, her favourite K-pop group, and more
Point of view: It’s a rainy Sunday morning. I’m sitting in the photographer’s studio in suburban Kuala Lumpur, waiting for a talented guest to join us for a special shoot to commemorate Malaysia Day. In the weeks leading up to today, she has dominated headlines across all major news outlets and was front and centre of the social media buzz, all owing to her recent success at the international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth of Nations. She’s none other than overnight gymnastics sensation 16-year-old Ng Joe Ee.
Read more: Tatlergram: The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Through the Eyes of Team Malaysia
She arrives with her chaperons—her mom and dad—and is at first shy but quickly warms up at the mention of, “Congratulations on your recent wins! So happy for you!” She beams in response.
In August 2022, the Malaysian rhythmic gymnast made history when she clinched two individual gold medals at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. The debutante stunned the judges when she took the mat in Arena Birmingham in the individual ball and ribbon events and delivered mesmerising performances that put her amongst the top scorers.
The Malaysian contingent had initially gone with the pursuit of the all-around team title, which they were unable to achieve, but what transpired was something even better. Ng’s stunning ball routine earned her 29.700 points to claim victory by 0.650 ahead of Canada's Suzanna Shahbazian, while her thrilling ribbon performance propelled her to the top of the leaderboard with 27.800 points. These were feats she had to complete alone, without the presence of her family or her Russian coaches Yulia Ivanova and Udia Legotina.
See also: Commonwealth Games 2022: Team Malaysia Exceeds 6-Gold Medal Target at Birmingham
“The journey to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games was quite challenging because my coaches weren’t going to be there with me due to restrictions imposed by the UK government on Russian nationals. So I had to travel to the UK with another coach, and we had to train on our own. Some training sessions had to be held remotely over Zoom,” Ng shares.
“The first two days of the Games were okay but then the third day came, and Malaysia still hadn’t won any medals, so I was determined to win at least one. I won two!” she says. “I still can’t believe that I actually did it. I’m quite proud of myself because this was all hard work. I’m proud.”