Silat exponents prepared for extreme blows, kicks in hunt for gold

KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 (Bernama) -- Despite new regulations allowing the use of more extreme strikes, the national pencak silat squad believe they have what it takes to deliver three golds for the country in the Hanoi SEA Games in Vietnam from May 12 to 23.

Coach Mazlan Shaari said his charges had adapted themselves to the changes, especially after competing under the new rules at the Southeast Asian Pencak Silat Championship 2022 in Singapore last February.

"After seeing our weaknesses at the Southeast Asian Pencak Silat Championship, I have worked out new techniques which will be used in Hanoi, especially to overcome the challenges from Singapore and Vietnam.

"I have done my best during the two-week training in Langkawi and the exponents have mastered the changes,” he told a press conference at the National Sports Council here today.

The new regulations include giving exponents greater freedom to throw blows and kicks, including using elbows and knees, at their opponents, except on three areas of the body - head, knee and private parts.

The new regulations, which also involve the scoring system, are aimed at making pencak silat competitions more extreme and attractive in a bid to get the sport included in the Olympic Games 2036.

Meanwhile, 2016 world champion Mohd Al Jufferi Jamari is more bothered by his switch to a heavier category than the new regulations.

The four-time SEA Games champion said an injury made it difficult to check his body weight and forced him to move to Class F (70-75kg) from Class E (65-70kg) which he had competed in for 12 years.

"Class E needs speed while Class F requires power. It’s not easy for me to adapt in a short time, so my target is just to enter the final,” he said.

Mohd Al Jufferi said he had been training in Class F for seven months, and at about 71kg he is the lightest among exponents, who weigh an average 74kg.

"With my relatively lighter body, it is quite difficult to master new things especially in terms of techniques,” he added.

At the Southeast Asian Pencak Silat Championship in Singapore, Mohd Al Jufferi suffered an injury which forced him to give a walkover to Vietnam’s Vu Duc Hung in the Class F final.

Mohd Al Jufferi won gold at four successive SEA Games, in 2011 in Indonesia, 2013 in Myanmar, 2015 in Singapore and 2017 in Kuala Lumpur.

His hope of winning a fifth gold was dashed when his event was not featured at the 2019 Games in the Philippines, from where the Malaysian squad returned with one gold each in combat and artistic events.

At the Hanoi Games, pencak silat will be back among sports offering the highest numbers of medals, with 16 events to be contested compared to only nine at the 2019 edition.

The 28-member pencak silat squad, who will leave for Hanoi on May 8, are trageting two golds in combat events and one gold in the artistic category.

-- BERNAMA