Silat exponents from 21 local and international contingents prepared for extreme blows, kicks in hunt for glory.
KUCHING (23 FEBRUARY): The Sarawak Premier International Silat Championship 2023 (SPISC) will open on the 27th of February 2023, for a seven-day combative run in the historic capital city of Sarawak, Kuching.
The inaugural edition of the Sarawak Premier International Silat Championship 2023 (SPISC) is ready to live up to its hype as the championship expects to draw hundreds of athletes and officials from about 11 countries around the world.
Elite combative nations such as Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Singapore, Netherlands, Brunei, Philippines, Thailand, and the United States of America are among the nations that have confirmed their participation in the maiden competition.
Sarawak’s Minister of Tourism, Arts , Youth, Sports, and Entrepreneur Development, YB Dato Sri Haji Abd Karim Rahman Hamzah said Sarawak is ready to stage the event for the local and international athletes to showcase their combating skills.
“We welcome the silat exponents from 11 countries to compete here. We are well prepared and have all the logistics in place to host this grand event.
“The response is overwhelming with countries like the Netherlands and the United States of America set to inject more excitement in the Sarawak Premier International Silat Championship 2023 (SPISC).
“Some nations have registered early to prepare well for the championship. This is to their advantage to establish a solid team.
“On top of that, we at Sarawak have 63 silat exponents in our contingent and we believe that this championship is a perfect platform for them gain some experience and exposure with an aim to represent Malaysia on an international scale in the future,” he added.
The Sarawak Premier International Silat Championship 2023 will also be a significant tournament for the homegrown Silat athlete Zulaika Razman who competes in the women’s class C category.
The 23-year-old who recently excelled in the 19th World Pencak Silat Championship in Malacca, hopes to utilise this championship as a stepping stone and a warm up for the upcoming 2023 Cambodia SEA Games.
“Indeed, this tournament is the right platform for me to build my agility and strength and I believe that this tournament is occurring at the right time prior to the 2023 Cambodia SEA Games,” said the ever-energetic Zulaika Razman.
The Sarawak Premier International Silat Championship 2023 (SPISC) will also feature various interesting programs by the Sarawak Arts Council to light up the event such as food and cultural festivals.
The inaugural Sarawak Premier International Silat Championship 2023 (SPISC)will also be projected throughout Southeast Asia via live and delayed broadcast through the renowned platform of SPOTV which caters international and regional sports to 500 million viewers across the Southeast Asian region.
More than 500 silat exponents from 21 local and international contingents will be vying for supremacy in the junior and open categories. A total prize money of USD 20,000 will be conferred to the overall team champion of the tournament.
