4 Crowned World Champions

2018 World Pencak Silat Championship

By 16 December 2018, four Singapore Sports School pencak silat alumni had lifted their World Championship titles, including a three-time recipient – Sheik Farhan Sheik Alau'ddin. Farhan retained the Men's Match Class "J" title for the third consecutive year at the 2018 World Pencak Silat Championship on homeground.

Sports School alumni Muhammad Iqbal Abdul Rahman, Nurul Suhaila Mohamed Saiful and Sheik Ferdous Sheik Alau'ddin won convincingly against their opponents to become newly-crowned world champions, and bring the number of World Champions at Sports School to 13.

After 2 silver medals in four attempts at the world event, Iqbal was determined to score in his fifth World Championship. And he did, earning 467 points in the Men's Artistic Singles to 457 and 453 points by his closest rivals, Ilyas Sadara of Thailand and Dino Bima Sulistianto of Indonesia, in second and third respectively. Suhaila and Ferdous also scored in their Match events, outclassing their opponents in all five rounds of the final to capture the coveted crown in their separate divisions.

Team Singapore’s pencak silat exponents stepped into the arena at Singapore Sports Hub on 13 December with a six-gold target – and they delivered. They outperformed their international rivals, raking in 7 gold, 6 silver and 7 bronze medals, to top the medal tally at the three-day tournament. Sports School's present and past student-athletes contributed nine – 4 golds, 2 silvers and 3 bronzes – of the 20 medals won by the nation.

The 2018 World Championship returned to Singapore for the third time in 18 editions, 15 years since the last event on homeground in 2004. Team Singapore's 2018 performance bettered the four-gold haul in 2004 performance.

Sports School's secondary and post-secondary student-athletes also shone at the tournament, including then-Secondary 5 student-athlete Siti Khadijah Mohamad Shahrem who was making her debut at the prestigious event. Khadijah, a Jakarta-Palembang 2018 Asian Games bronze medallist, capped off a successful sport year, also with a bronze medal in the Women's Match Class "C" category at the World Championship.

RESULTS

Men’s Artistic Singles

1st – Muhammad Iqbal Abdul Rahman

Men’s Artistic Doubles

2nd – Nur Hakim Norshamsuddin

Men’s Artistic Team

3rd – Hamillatu Arash Juffrie, Nujaid Hasif Zainal Abidin

Women’s Match Class ‘C’ (55-60kg)

3rd – Siti Khadijah Mohamad Shahrem

Men’s Match Class ‘D’ (60-65kg)

3rd – Abdul Raazaq Abdul Rashid

Women’s Match Class ‘D’ (60-65kg)

1st – Nurul Suhaila Mohamed Saiful

Men’s Match Class ‘G’ (75-80kg)

2nd – Abdul Raaziq Abdul Rashid

Men’s Match Class ‘I’ (85-90kg)

1st – Sheik Ferdous Sheik Alau’ddin

Men’s Match Class ‘J’ (90-95kg)

1st – Sheik Farhan Sheik Alau’ddin