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NEWS & EVENTS
Silat squad ready for Myanmar
Tuesday, December 3, 2013



The national pencak silat team are geared up for the 27th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Myanmar next week.

The Sultanate will be represented by eight athletes - five men and three women - at the biennial tournament in Naypyitaw.

They will be competing in two seni (artistic) and four tanding (competition) events.

Brunei bagged all three of their bronze medals in the sport through the former while all three entries in the latter failed to progress past the first round at the last edition of the games in Indonesia in 2011.

Abdul Malik Hj Ladi, Juffri Hj Junaidi and Awang Abdul Rahman Awang Hj Asli - the athletes who won bronze in the men's regu team in 2011 - will once again fly the flag for the Sultanate this year, joined by the duo of 16967 SLD Ak Mohd Khairul Bahri Pg Aliumar and Ak Md Saifful Azri Pg Mohd Iskandar Saifful Bahari.

Norleyermah Hj Raya is another familiar face on the pencak silat scene after she won bronze in the women's seni tunggal two years ago.

She won silver in the same event back in 2007.

She also claimed bronze in the women's regu after teaming up with sisters Norleyharyanti and Nurul Aimi Amalina Zainidi.

This year, she will be without her sisters and is instead joined by the pair of Siti Shazareena Hanifa and Farina Afida Pehin Hj Abdul Jalil.

National pencak silat coach Suhartono feels that the team is ready and is expecting the best out of them.

"I only expect the athletes to do their best at the Games," said Suhartono in an interview with The Brunei Times on Saturday after the flag-handing ceremony at the Hassanal Bolkiah Natioanl Stadium in Berakas.

"We're not thinking about the medals and are focused on what we can do in the competition. Hopefully we can improve from our last outing (of three bronze medals)," he said.

"Everyone is ready for the fight and we are prepared in all aspects - physical, practical and mental. Now we just need the support and prayer," continued Suhartono.

The team returned from the pre-SEA Games competition back in June with one silver and six bronze medals.

They continued their year round training programme with a 20-day intensive training stint in Indonesia from September to October.

They trained twice a day, five times a week at the Sg Kebun Sports Complex after returning.

Brunei is sending a 101-member contingent, with 61 athletes, to the Dec 11-22 tournament.

They will participate in athletics, cue sports, cycling, football, karate, pencak silat, petanque, sepak takraw, taekwando and wushu.

The Sultanate finished at the bottom of the 11-team table with their haul of four silver and 11 bronze medals in Indonesia back in 2011.

Courtesy from Brunei Times