The Selangor Female Silambam Competition, which is the first ever competition organised for female Silambam athletes both in Selangor and Malaysia, took place at the Tanjung MBSA Hall, Shah Alam. The ambitious competition had 266 eager young participants. The event was not only centred around young female Silambam athelets but was also organised by women who wanted the sport to be preserved and nurtured by young girls.
The competition had four different categories, consisting of individual, group, synchronisation, and combative. The participants were all women and girls aged between 5 and 44 who were all eager to show and develop their skills in this ancient Tamil martial arts.
A. R. Yogeswari Arumugam, leading organiser of the Selangor Women’s Silambam Competition 2023, shared that she was overwhelmed and excited by the amount of support the competition had received from both eager participants and parents alike.
I was named as the person incharge to organise this competition; 16 other women work under my leadership. There are over 250 kids who have entered this competition, and even the parents are supportive of this endeavor. As organisers, the level of support and success the event has received is truly something that was unexpected.
– A. R. Yogeswari Arumugam, Leading Organiser of Selangor Women’s Silambam Competition 2023
Participants from 7 different districts took part in this competition, with the Ulu Langat team emerging as the resounding champion. Their team won 7 gold medals, 2 silver medals, and 6 bronze medals. Jothi Durairaj, the administrator of the Hulu Langat team, shared that her students had worked extremely hard, dedicating 3 months of training to receive this well-deserved award.
The participants who attended all shared their joy in there being a space for female Silambam athletes to be recognised for their talents and dedication towards the martial arts. They expressed gratitude towards the organisers and their masters, who helped develop their skills and discipline. The competition ends on a high note, with aspirations to further grow the programme on a national scale. Young female athletes also expressed with pride that one day they hope to represent the nation on an international scale.
Source: RTM TV TamilSeithi
