SEA Games 2023: Singapore women’s artistic silat team win historic gold

PHNOM PENH – When silat exponents Amirah Sahrin, Iffah Batrisyia Noh and Nur Ashikin Zulkifli were training at their respective void decks in 2020, they sometimes drew curious looks from passers-by.

As Singaporeans battled restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the trio had been put together as a team and could practise their routines only via video-conferencing platform Zoom. 

Little did they know at that time that three years later, they would clinch Singapore’s maiden gold in the women’s artistic silat team event at the Cambodia SEA Games, improving on the Republic’s previous best of a silver.

They did so on Sunday, when they scored 9.955 points in the final to beat Brunei’s Nur Wasiqah, Norleyermah Haji Raya and Anisah Najihah Abdullah (9.925) at the Chroy Changvar Convention Centre.

The Singaporean trio had to settle for bronze at the Hanoi SEA Games in 2022, while the team of Nurul Khairunnisa, Nur Fazlin Juma’en and Nur Shafiqa Sheik Alau’ddin had won silver in 2015 on home soil. 

Iffah said: “We did not think that we would stand together here (at the Games) with a gold medal. What’s happening now is unexpected.

“It is nice to know our efforts have paid off and the credit has to go to our coaches, parents and teammates.”

In the artistic team event, trios perform a group routine, showcasing a variety of silat moves during a three-minute period and are given points on their combined synchronisation, execution of technique and energy. 

The silat trio have gone from strength to strength since becoming a team. They were among 33 new athletes who were awarded the Sport Excellence Scholarship in 2023, which allows them to train full-time. 

Sunday’s triumph for Amirah, Iffah (both 20) and Ashikin, 23, came after they had won the world title at the Pencak Silat World Championships in Malaysia last July, followed by another win at the Asian championships three months later.

Ashikin said that winning Singapore’s first Games gold in the event came as a surprise and she hopes it can help spur other female silat exponents.

She said: “It is a meaningful SEA Games for us. We went from being third to first. Winning gold is big and we hope it is something that could inspire others.” 

There was, however, disappointment for Singapore’s world champion Iqbal Abdul Rahman, who suffered a surprise loss in the semi-finals of the men’s artistic singles.

The defending champion’s score of 9.935 points was enough for only a joint-bronze medal. Cambodia’s Soem Sokdevid advanced to the final with 9.955 and went on to win the gold by beating Malaysia’s Muhammad Khairul Shaddad Ardi. 

Iqbal said he had given his all, adding: “I’m quite happy with my performance... I was confident that I could have won it but it didn’t go my way today. 

“I have to discuss with my coach, look back at videos and analyse... I am disappointed I couldn’t go through. Gold was the intention and I’m still curious why it (my performance) wasn’t enough.“

In the women’s artistic singles, Siti Nazurah also won a joint bronze after losing to Indonesia’s Puspa Arum Sari in the semi-finals. Puspa went on to win gold by beating Malaysia’s Nur Syafiqah in the final. 

Meanwhile, the Republic’s ju-jitsu exponents added another silver and bronze on Sunday to take their overall 2023 Games haul to one gold, one silver and two bronzes.

Even though Tang Yong Siang finished joint top with Vietnam’s Dao Hong Son after the men’s ne-waza nogi 56kg round-robin competition, he was awarded the silver based on head-to-head record as he was beaten by the Vietnamese in their bout.

Noah Lim, who delivered gold in the men’s ne-waza gi 69kg event on Saturday, claimed a joint bronze after losing the men’s ne-waza nogi 69kg semi-final to eventual winner Marc Alexander Foronda of the Philippines.

Teh May Yong lost all four fights in the women’s ne-waza nogi 52kg event to place last of five athletes.