KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 14 (Bernama) -- A total of 1,288 exponents aged five to 16, representing more than 50 local and foreign teams, are competing in the SSJF Cup 3.0 National Silat Championships and International Invitational, which began today and runs until Oct 19 at the Titiwangsa Stadium here.
Malaysian National Silat Federation (Pesaka) Kuala Lumpur president Datuk Azman Abidin said the third edition of the championships had also attracted the Kazakhstan junior squad and representatives from four major regions in Indonesia.
He said the annual meet was important as a platform to identify promising young talents who could be groomed for higher-level competitions, thus strengthening the development of silat in the country.
"If we do not organise championships or competitions, we will not be able to unearth their talents. Through such competitions, we can identify the potential of young silat exponents, especially in Kuala Lumpur.
"We want Kuala Lumpur to remain a centre of excellence for the development of the country’s silat exponents as we have good infrastructure facilities,” he told reporters after officiating at the championships here tonight.
Azman also hoped that the championships would continue to grow into a prestigious international competition and attract more countries in the future.
The tournament, organised by Kelab Silat Olahraga Wira Titiwangsa (KSOWT) through the Sport School Junior Fighter (SSJF) initiative, is also held in collaboration with the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory Education Department (JPWPKL) and the Ministry of Education (MOE), with the aim of developing the younger generation through silat and education.
-- BERNAMA