Chee Wei overwhelmed the judges with his dazzling and energetic performance to collect five full points and overcome Djaafer Islam from Algeria while the bronze medal went to Turkey's Mehmet Yakan and Ibrahim Magdy Moussa Aly Hassanin Ahmed from Egypt.
"I am delighted with the win and the fact that it was the first gold medal for the country, makes me very proud. I hope my win will inspire others to follow suit.
"I am confident that other athletes in the Malaysian contingent will also work hard to win medals for the country," he told Bernama, today.
The exponent from Penang said he felt a little nervous at the start since he was only replacing the injured Ricky Leong Tze Wai, the favourite in the event, but once he started his routine, he felt confident.
Ricky who suffered an injury during training which needed nine stitches, had to be replaced one day before the competition and Chee Wei was the obvious choice.
Chee Wei who immediately attributed the win to Ricky also wished him a speedy recovery.
"This gold medal does not belong to me but the all Malaysians instead," said Chee Wei whose next target will be the 2013 Myanmar SEA Games in December.
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