SEA Games 2025: Siti Khadijah Shahrem is S’pore’s first women’s wushu sanda medallist

SINGAPORE – Even as Siti Khadijah Shahrem made history on Dec 14 by becoming Singapore’s first female wushu exponent to win a sanda medal at the SEA Games, the overwhelming feeling was one of disappointment.

After her 2-0 defeat by Myanmar’s Hnin Nu Wah in the women’s 60kg semi-finals, which earned her a joint-bronze, the 24-year-old’s despair was evident as she was in tears after the bout.

Despite making the switch from silat only in August, she had entered the Games with big ambitions.

She said: “I was disappointed... I didn’t want to lose, especially because my parents travelled so far just to watch me fight, because I owe it to my coaches who’ve done so much for me and to the country – that’s one of the reasons I chose to go outside my comfort zone.”

At the Chaeng Watthana Government Complex on Dec 13, she beat Laos’ Bulisavong Sudalath 2-0 in the quarter-finals to guarantee a historic medal.

Singapore has only had one other medal in the discipline, a bronze by Ivan Lin at the 2015 SEA Games.

The Chinese martial art of wushu comprises two forms – taolu is the performance of choreographed routines, while sanda is a full-contact combat sport.

Noting that this was the first time Singapore sent a female sanda athlete to the Games, Singapore Wushu Dragon & Lion Dance Federation president Ang Mong Seng hailed her accomplishment, calling it a “historic feat”.

Khadijah’s bronze is her second medal at the Games – she claimed a silat bronze in Class F (70-75kg) at the Hanoi edition in 2022.

However, she missed out on selection for her third consecutive SEA Games after falling short at the Singapore Silat Federation’s internal selection trials in March.

The heartbreak led to a

switch to wushu

and she began training in sanda in August, as a result of a new cross-combat sports strategy programme introduced by Sport Singapore’s High Performance Sport Institute.

The switch to a new sport has taken some adjusting to.

When asked about the challenges she has faced, she said: “Definitely getting punched in the face.

“Because the beating I get in sanda and wushu is definitely way more painful because it’s direct to the face, to your throat, you get kicked in the ribs... That is stepping out of my comfort zone because usually I used to wear guards all around in the fight.”

While Khadijah’s first SEA Games as a wushu exponent did not turn out the way she wanted, it has only fuelled her desire to keep improving.

She said: “All this is a gift for me and a blessing in disguise for me to learn about this sport, to humble myself and gain more knowledge about this sport.

“And hopefully, with whatever I’ve learnt in time to come will allow me to become a better fighter, not just for me, but for the country and the sport.”

In the men’s taolu changquan, daoshu and gunshu final on Dec 14, Singapore’s Ong Zi Meng finished fifth with a score of 29.133 points, while Jowen Lim was seventh with 29.08 points.

Compatriots Zeanne Law (19.506) and Vera Tan (19.476) were fourth and sixth respectively in the women’s taolu, taijiquan and taijijian final.

At the Impact Arena exhibition hall in Muang Thong Thani, Khadijah’s former silat teammates won a silver and bronze on Dec 14.

Affiz Zakri, Nazrul Kamal and Mustafar Isa finished second in the men’s seni regu

(artistic team) final after losing 9.965-9.935 to defending champions Indonesia, while Nurin Insyirah, 21, won a joint-bronze in the women’s seni tunggal.

Sharing a long embrace as they stepped off the mat, Affiz, 24, and Mustafar, 29, struggled to hold back the tears while 26-year-old Nazrul comforted them.

But it was not the loss – which still saw the Singaporeans win the first medal in the event since a gold at the 2019 edition – that hurt.

Emotions were high as Affiz’s journey in the sport and their time as a trio, who have trained and competed together for over three years, had come to an end.

Affiz had decided before the Games that he would retire to focus on his career with the Singapore Police Force after the event.

He said: “Honestly, it’s a mix of emotions. During our semi-final, when I was performing, my journey throughout silat flashed through my eyes.

“I’m so glad that we are able to end it off on a positive note, going up against the champions and giving them a good fight, especially making it into the final as well.”