The martial arts sport of wushu gained a measure of prominence in 2000 when its female exponent, Jennee Sae Tang, was awarded the Sportsgirl of the Year award for 1999 for her outstanding international achievements during that year; it was wushu's first entry into the hallowed realm of the Sportsgirl of the Year awards, dominated as it was over the preceding 23 years by swimming, yachting and squash.

Young Jennee was just 16 in 1999 but was already the recipient of a bagful of international awards in the same year. She struck gold at the 2nd South East Asian Wushu Championships and the 4th Asian Youth Championships (Penang). However, it was her performances at the 5th World Wushu Championships (WWC) in Hong Kong winning silver for the Taiji Sword display and bronze for the Taiji Quan in the Women's Open categories, at her relatively tender age that clinched the selection.

Jennee's interest in wushu started when she was just a toddler watching her father conduct training sessions with his lion and dragon dance troupe. She joined the national team at 12 and earned a place in the Singapore contingent to the 1999 World Wushu Championships. She was the baby of the team but nevertheless went on to win a silver and bronze medals in the Women's Open categoryfor her scintillating displays in the Taiji Sword and the Taiji Quan categories.

At the Beijing Wushu Championship she also won one gold and one bronze medal and she also come in at the top three positions in the Asian Youth Wushu Championship and the South East Asian Wushu Championships.

It was, however, the silver medal (Taiji Sword) attained at the 'prestigious' 1999 World Wushu Championships that ultimately led to her being honoured by the panel of judges - a firm endorsement that wushu exponent Jennee Sae Tang was a worthy winner of the Sportsgirl of the Year award (1999) in view of her sterling exploits in 1999.