Silambam: Sarawak confident of 6 medals

KUCHING: Sarawak are eyeing six medals in the silambam event in the 21st Malaysia Games (SUKMA).

Led by head coach Kavibalan Parsuraman Kavi and assistant coach Darshini Meena Arumugam, the team are aiming for a total of two golds, two silvers, and two bronzes.

Despite the 18 Sarawakian athletes being first timers — comprising nine boys and nine girls — Darshini remains confident of their ability to perform well.

“They are very new, and we have been training for one year. We’re aiming to win two gold medals in the female Kuthu Varisai event and the synchronised bare-hand event,” she told New Sarawak Tribune when met during the first day of the competition at the Hikmah Exchange Event Centre here today.

As for the silver medals, she said the team members are hopeful of success in the women’s 60-70kg combat category and the men’s 75kg above combat category.

“We anticipate the bronze medals to come from the combat events, with one each from the male and female categories,” she added.

On who their main opponents are, Darshini picked Selangor and the Federal Territories as the teams to beat.

“Regardless of any mistakes, win or lose, we will strive to perform even better at the next SUKMA in 2026,” she added.

The Sarawak silambam team are competing in the men and female’s individual thanithiramai silamban stick event, men and women’s individual thanithiramai kuthu varisai event,

men’s individual poruthal below 55kg event, women’s poruthal below 50 kg event, men’s poruthal 55-65kg event, women’s poruthal 50-60kg event, individual men’s poruthal 65-75kg event, individual women’s poruthal 60-70kg event, men’s individual poruthal above 75kg event, and women’s individual poruthal above 70kg event.

The team will also compete in the synchronised bare hand and synchronised weapon event.

Competition for silambam starts today and will run until Aug 22.

Also present were Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh and Murum assemblyman and assistant chef demission for Sarawak’s silambam team Kennedy Chukpai Ugom.

Kavibalan (standing, left), Darshini (seated, right) and Sarawak’s silambam team pose for the camera during the first day of the 21st Malaysia Games (SUKMA) silambam competition.