Ahmad Zahid Congratulates V. Thamaraj For Winning World Pencak Silat Championship

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 23 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi congratulated national silat athlete V. Thamaraj who won the 20th World Pencak Silat Championship in the men's free category in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) yesterday.

He commended Thamaraj for delivering an outstanding performance to defeat Uzbek’s Khudoyberdiev Diyorbek in the final match, thus creating his own history and securing a gold medal that holds significant meaning for the country.

Ahmad Zahid also expressed pride in the achievements of the national silat team at the tournament, with the senior team clinching six gold, nine silver, and four bronze medals, while the junior team excelled with five gold medals and four each in silver and bronze.

“I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the entire national silat team for their dedication and remarkable achievements. May this success mark the beginning of more victories that will bring glory to Malaysia in the future, God willing,” he shared in a Facebook post today.

In the same post, Ahmad Zahid also expressed his appreciation to the President of the National Silat Federation of Malaysia (PESAKA) Datuk Megat Zulkarnain Omardin for his unwavering support.

Megat Zulkarnain, who was at the tournament to give moral support and inspire the country’s silat representatives, in a post on Facebook, stated that  Thamaraj's success made history as the first Malaysian Indian silat athlete to win the world championship.

-- BERNAMA