Qi Xinyi (middle), gold medalist of the women's Changquan from Fuyang district of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, celebrates winning her gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games, on Aug 22. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

Qi Xinyi, a Wushu athlete from Fuyang district in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, claimed her first Asian Games championship title in the women's Changquan at the 18th installment of the games, beating Macao player Li Yi 9.74-9.72 points in Jakarta, Indonesia, Aug 22.

Hoang Thi Phuong Giang of Vietnam scooped the bronze medal with 9.71 points.

Qi, who was participating in the Asian Games for the first time, said she had waited a long time for the moment. "I'm so happy with the result because I played well today in terms of the degree of difficulty and movement," she said.

She said that a clear mind and strong will are important for the competition and she wanted to do her best.

Qi deserves the gold medal, said Shen Jianjun, coach of the Zhejiang Wushu team, adding that the girl showed a good sense of determination and bit the bullet despite being injured at the 2017 National Games in Tianjin.

It is the hope of many involved in the sport that in the future, Wushu can be included in the Olympic Games so as to better promote the game, said Shen.

Wushu was first incorporated into the Asian Games in 1990. The sport comprises of Taolu and Sanda. Changquan, or long fist boxing, features imitations of animal moves and is the main style of modern Wushu, and is mostly performed in northern China.

Qi Xinyi from Fuyang district of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, competes during the women's Changquan final at the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, Aug 22. [Photo/Xinhua]