Thirty-seven members of the Brunei contingent, consisting of secretariat officers, medical personnel, the wushu team, the pencak silat team, the swimming team, and the weightlifting team, have returned to Brunei Darussalam after competing in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) 2025 in Thailand.

Silver medalist Basma Lachkar said, “I felt honoured to be able to represent the country. We have been training since the last SEA Games. I felt even more blissful after winning a silver medal in the wushu women’s combined disciplines of Taijiquan and Taijijian.”

She described the challenges of preparation, saying, “There were ups and downs, especially for big competitions. In a combined discipline, it is tougher because you need to achieve top scores in both events to win a podium finish. We are now preparing for the next big competition, the Asian Games.”

Basma Lachkar has won three silver medals and two bronze medals across all SEA Games she has competed in.

Meanwhile, Nurul Wasiqah Aziemah binti Rosihan, who won silver in the pencak silat women’s single (Tunggal) event, shared, “I feel proud of myself because all my sweat and tears have paid off. I am also very proud of my team for their performance because we all worked really hard. I felt that they too deserved a medal.”

“This is my third SEA Games and my third silver medal. Previously, I managed to obtain two silvers in the silat team events in the previous two SEA Games. This is my first silver medal in the single event, so it is very special and precious to me,” she added. The 23-year-old hopes to train hard to achieve more medals in both team and single events in future competitions.

Majdurano Joel bin Majallah Sain and Abel @ Lim Wee Yuan, who obtained bronze in the wushu men’s weapons Duilian event, said, “We felt proud of winning a bronze medal for the country despite facing several challenges.”

He added, “Our opponents were very strong, and the hotel meals caused gastric issues among our team. Many of our younger athletes suffered from these problems, which affected our ability to perform at our highest level.”

This is the pair’s second bronze medal in all SEA Games competitions, and they are looking to train hard for the next SEA Games.

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Nazmi bin Haji Awang Mohamad presented garlands and conveyed congratulatory remarks at Brunei International Airport. Permanent Secretary (Culture) at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports Pengiran Haji Mohd Hasnan bin Pengiran Haji Ali Hassan was also present. – JAMES KON

Courtesy from Borneo Bulletin