Stage set for first wheelchair dance Asian Champs

Around 50 athletes from five countries, amongst them some of the world’s best dancers, will aim to make history at the Sanchong District Complex Gymnasium.

Representing Kazakhstan in the combi freestyle class 2 is world No. 1 ranked couple Kulshum Atalykova and Dastan Raushanbekov. The pair have graced the podium twice at smaller competitions in 2016 on their path to New Taipei City 2016.

The rest of the field includes several other top 10 pairings, including Chun-Lan Yang and Huan-Jan Wu who will be aiming to claim a medal at home.

South Korea’s Chaeyoung Son and Jongchul Choi will also dance alongside teammates Yunmi Jung and Sungbeom Kang as the No. 6 and No. 9 respectively.

Atalykova and Raushanbekov are the top ranked Asian couple in the combi standard class 2, but Yang and Wu are only two places behind them in eighth.

There are further medal hopes for the hosts in the duo standard class 2 with Hsin-Yu Lin and Tang-Chin Hung leading a strong field of Chinese Taipei dancers.

But their compatriots Yi-Jung Huang and Wen-Sheng Kuo have been the strongest Asian couple so far in 2016 in the duo Latin class 2.

In the combi Latin class 2, South Korea’s Youngseon Park and Youngho Lee will compete as the world No. 2 couple.

Kazakhstan’s combi freestyle class 1 world No. 2 Aidana Beglenova and Ardak Otorbayev will try to out dance South Korea’s Hye-Jeong Jang and Jaewoo Lee. Hong Kong’s Hei Man Ho and Wah Keung Ma are also firmly in the top 10 after a successful season.

Beglenova and Otorbayev, and Jang and Lee are also likely to impress in the combi standard class 1.

In the singles events, the men’s freestyle class 2 features world No. 2 Yermek Kalymbetov of Kazakhstan. South Korea’s Youngho Lee is also the top ranked Asian dancer in the singles class 2.

Dancing solo in the men’s single class 1, Wah Keung Ma enters as the World No. 2.

In the women’s single class 2, Chinese Taipei’s Hsin-Yu Lin and Hong Kong’s Susanna Tze Yan So look the strongest athletes on paper, both with top 10 finishes at previous competitions this season.

The 2016 IPC Wheelchair Dance Sport Asian Championships runs from 5-6 November.

The competition can be followed on Twitter (@IPCWDS) and facebook.com/IPCWheelchairDanceSport where updates and pictures will posted.