SARAWAK SILAT CONTINGENT CONTINUES TO SHINE IN SPISC 2023

KUCHING (1 March): The hunt for glory continues at the Sarawak Premier International Silat Championship (SPISC) 2023, as the Sarawak contingent maintained its winning momentum in its second-day bouts at Stadium Perpaduan, Petra Jaya today.

Josh Chua, Shahameirul Shelby Mohamad Maiden and Suhaiqal Suhardie were among the stalwarts who overcame their opponents in their respective categories to claim hard-earned semi-final spots.

Competing in front of a home crowd played a significant role for the Bumi Kenyalang contingent, as Josh Chua got his team off to an inspiring start by cruising past Pahang's Mohamad Mirza Danish Abdullah 72-18 in the Putra C junior category.

Sarawak's run continued as Shahameirul Shelby emerged victorious in the men's artistic singles category, despite finishing level on 9.9 points with Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) exponent Mohd Hearri Chieng Mohd Firdaus Cheng.

Teammate Suhaiqal Suhardie followed suit, beating Indonesia's Dapa Riki Ananda 9.885-9.850 in the men's artistic singles category.

Two other home exponents, Noor Syafiq Affendi and Nuramalyia Andryana Mohamad Ismawie, faced tough opponents in the Putra D and Putri C categories respectively, and were unable to replicate their teammates' success. Noor Syafiq lost to Indonesia's Dzul Khairil Muna, while Nuramalyia was beaten by Indonesia's Yurika Juita Putri.

Also stealing the show today was Omar Daken from the United States, who put up a robust fight in the two events he entered, men's artistic singles and Putra C junior, but lost in both after only a short rest between bouts.

A dramatic moment unfolded in Arena 2, where Singapore's Abdul Raaif Abdul Rashid, seen as the favourite in his Putra C junior bout, was penalised after losing his temper over the judges' decisions. His opponent, Uzbekistan's Asadov Ismoil, was awarded the win despite spending most of the bout on the defensive.

Terengganu's Mohd Rafiqi Nazri displayed commanding skill to reach the semi-finals of the Putra D junior category, beating Uzbekistan's Azizjonov Abduquddus 22-6.

Brunei's Muhammad Ali Saifullah Abdullah Muhd Suhaimi edged past Muhammad Ridhwan Ahmad Jani by just one point, while Melaka's Muhammad Amirul Hakim Jaaffar comfortably beat Terengganu's Muhd Faris Iqbal Zamzuri 55-30 in the Putra C junior quarter-finals.

The inaugural Sarawak Premier International Silat Championship 2023, which began on 27 February and runs until 5 March, features approximately 500 participants from 11 countries and 10 local contingents.