Hj Md Khairul Bahrin Hj Duraman
holds his gold medal after the
25th edition of the Southeast
Asia Games in Vientiane, Laos,
in 2009. Hj Md Khairul Bahrin
will fly the flag for Brunei at next
week's 15th World Pencak Silat
Championships in Thailand.
Picture:BT file

Brunei will be sending 19 athletes to next week's 15th World Pencak Silat Championships in Thailand.

The Nov 19-25 event in Chiang Rai will be the national team's first international outing since last November's Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Indonesia, where they returned with three bronze medals.

The Sultanate recorded its best-ever finish at the last edition of the world meet when its 15 exponents finished fourth with one gold and three bronze medals at the 14th World Pencak Silat Championships in Jakarta two years ago.

Despite their encouraging performance at the last edition, Brunei Darussalam National Silat Association (PERSIB) honorary secretary isn't putting any pressure on this year's team.

"More than 20 countries will be competing. The Asian teams will be the strongest (so) winning one medal will be a good achievement," said Pg Hj Jaludin Pg Salleh yesterday. "The team we are sending is a mix of experience and youth ... Training has been going alright, now we're just waiting to compete," he added.

Brunei will compete in the men's tanding Class A (45-50kg), Class B (50-55kg), Class C (55-60kg), Class D (60-65kg), Class E (65-70kg), Class F (70-75kg) and Class G (75-80kg) categories and will also have entries in the women's Class A, B and C.

Khuzaiman Ahmad won the Sultanate's sole gold medal at 14th World Pencak Silat Championships after clinching the men's tanding Class E event and would end the tournament with the "Best Male Athlete" award.

He also won gold in the same category at the 2nd SEA Silat Championships 2010 in Vietnam.

Other possible candidates for next week's event include Hj Md Khairul Bahrin Hj Duraman and Norleyermah Raya.

Hj Md Khairul Bahrin, who won the country's only gold medal at the 2009 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Laos, also won bronze in the men's pencak silat tunggal category at the last World Pencak Silat Championships.

Norleyermah, meanwhile, claimed bronze in the pencak silat tunggal event in both the 2010 edition and 2008 edition of the world meet.

Abd Malik Hj Ladi, Abd Rahman Hj Asli and Juffri Hj Junaidi who won the third bronze in 2010 after finishing third in the men's regu might also make the trip to Thailand. The trio won bronze in the same category at last year's SEA Games and the 2nd SEA Silat Championships.

Amirul Ahat (Class A) and Pg Khairul Bahri Pg Ali Umar (Class F) are two others who might be on the plane to Thailand.

Courtesy from Brunei Times