Sheik Farhan wins back-to-back SEA Games silat gold
PHNOM PENH – After dominating the sport with two SEA Games golds and four world championship titles, having to drop a weight class will put most off their game.
Not silat exponent Sheik Farhan Sheik Alau’ddin, who continued to plunder golds in the sport with a third Games gold medal on Wednesday to cap off Team Singapore’s campaign in Cambodia.
The 26-year-old swept aside Malaysia’s Muhammad Robial Sobri 42-11, in the Tanding Class I (85-90kg) final at the Chroy Changvar Convention Centre.
His two previous gold medals at the 2022 and 2017 Games, as well as the 2015, 2016, 2018 and 20222 World Pencak Silat Championships were in the Tanding Class J (90kg To 95kg) category, which is not contested at these Games.
The Singapore silat team finished the Games two gold, three silver and five bronze medals. At the last edition in Hanoi, Singapore’s silat exponents produced four gold, three silvers and four bronzes – their best-ever showing at the biennial event.
The trio of Amirah Sahrin, Iffah Batrisyia Noh and Nur Ashikin Zulkifli won a historic gold last Sunday in the women’s artistic silat team event.
While it was jubilation for Sheik Farhan, there was disappointment for his brother, Sheik Ferdous.
A Games gold continues to elude the 2018 world champion and Asian Games silver medalist, after he was roundly beaten by Vietnam’s Nguyen Tan Sang in the men’s Class G (75-80kg) Tanding final.
At the Hanoi Games last May, he had to settle for silver after he was forced to withdraw from the men’s Class G Tanding final against Tan Sang on doctor’s orders for safety reasons. He had received an illegal blow on his head in the semi-final. He also has a bronze medal from the 2015 Games.
Sheik Ferdous also hit the headlines for the wrong reasons in January, when reports revealed that he was facing a drink driving charge. He is expected to plead guilty next Monday.
Games debutants Nadhrah Sahrin, 19 and Nurshahfareeq Shahrudin, 20, also settled for silver on Wednesday.
Nadhrah was second in the women’s Class A (45-50kg) tanding category – she was disqualified during her final bout with Malaysia’s Nor Farah Mazlan after being penalised thrice.
In the class H (80-85kg) final, Nurshahfareeq came close to a sensational win over defending champion Nguyen Duy Tuyen of Vietnam, but was edged out 45-49.
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