BUTTERWORTH, Aug 7 (Bernama) -- The Penang Silambam team made preparations by training in the past two years for the Malaysian Games (SUKMA) 2024 in Sarawak, on August 17 to 24.
Penang Silambam Association coach P. Raveendran said the State Sports Council also gave a high commitment by providing physical and mental training to 13 athletes who will take on the challenge of Penang in the competition of four Silambam events at the biennial games.
"The association provides training for events to be contested in SUKMA. The team also trains for five or six days a week during these two years," he told Bernama while conducting training at Padang Haji Ahmad Badawi here.
Despite having no national athletes and almost all new faces, he is confident that his men's abilities will contribute medals at this year's SUKMA following training and experience participating in several tournaments including the International Silambam Championship in Kuala Lumpur in May.
Raveendran who is also the International Silambam technical chairman said his coaching team is at the best level and several of his men who will compete in this year's SUKMA who have successfully won medals in the international tournaments.
Meanwhile, Penang Silambam Association assistant coach R. Prakash said seven female athletes and six male athletes will participate in the Synchronised Bare Hand, Thanithiramai Silambam Stick, Thanithiramai Kuthu Varisai and Poruthal (Combat) events.
The former national athlete from 2006 to 2014 said he is satisfied with the physical and technical training given to strengthen the contingent in the sport which was recognised for the first time at the biennial games.
"We have been holding monthly centralised camp for athletes as our preparation and we will organise a final camp specifically for mental strength in Batu Feringghi near here for three days before flying to Sarawak.
"Besides, we are also very strict with the discipline of our athletes where we prohibit eating snacks, preserved titbits and ice drinks and always remind them to be more careful when they are on the road (when driving) so as not to sustain any injuries, again and again when as SUKMA approaches," he said.
Regarding the opponents, he expects the Silambam squad from Sarawak, Terengganu, Selangor and Perak to provide fierce competition and be able to challenge his men's chances of winning a medal this year.
Turgeshwaar Sella Muthu, 19, who will take part in the Thanithiramai Kuthu Varisai and Synchronized Bare Hand events is also confident of contributing a medal because he has undergone intense and long training over the years.
The Seberang Perai Polytechnic student said he will use the SUKMA stage this year to get a medal because his debut appearance at the last edition of SUKMA saw no medals offered for the martial art originating from India as it was categorised as a demonstration sport.
"The team's preparation is very good because the coach has explained the rules, techniques that can gain points, training to maintain stamina, fitness tests and also camps for physical and mental preparation," he said.
The Silambam competition which offers 14 gold medals for 14 events involving women, men and mixed will take place at the Hikmah Exchange Event Centre, Kuching from August 20 to 22.
For the Poruthal event, each match will consist of two rounds and each round will run for ninety seconds while each performance for the Thanithiramai Silambam Stick event will run for two minutes.
Each performance of Thanithiramai Kuthu Varisai (Bare Hand) is given for 120 to 150 seconds while for the Synchronized event, each performance will run for three minutes.
In total, Penang will field 606 athletes through 35 types of sports in the mission to reach the target of 40 gold medals at SUKMA XXI Sarawak 2024.
-- BERNAMA
