Gayong S’wak Invitational attracts over 500 silat athletes

KUCHING (Oct 29): Over 500 participants competed in the 5th Gayong Sarawak Invitational Silat Championships at the Cityone Event Hall here from Oct 23 to 26.

Organised by Gayong Martial Arts Association (PSSG) Sarawak, the tournament aimed to promote the sport as well as nurture future silat champions.

The athletes hailed from eight regions in Sarawak along with competitors from Johor and Sabah. They represented teams such as Segamat Elite Team (Johor), Kuching North City Hall (DBKU), Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), the Batu Lintang Teacher Education Institute and Gayong Sarawak from Kuching, Samarahan, Serian, Sri Aman, Betong, Sarikei and Miri.

The championships was officiated by National Silat Federation of Malaysia (Pesaka) vice president cum National Gayong Association president Tuan Guru Mohd Faid Musa .

“The overall champions were the Kuching Fighters, who secured 31 gold medals, while DBKU emerged as the runner-up with 14 gold medals,” according to a statement by the organisers yesterday.

A total of 302 matches in 90 categories were contested in both silat tanding (combat) and silat seni (performance).

Competitors ranged in age from as young as 4 years old to 45 years old.

PSSG Sarawak looks to the tournament as a key performance indicator in its mission to produce highly skilled and competitive silat practitioners who can represent Sarawak and Malaysia on the international stage through Pesaka Malaysia.

“Beyond being a competition, this event also seeks to ignite the passion of the younger generation for the art of silat, ensuring that this cultural heritage is preserved and appreciated for generations to come,” added the statement.