THE switch from taekwondo to silat seems to have paid off for army officer V. Thamaraj.
He etched his name in sports history by becoming the first Malaysian-Indian to win a World Championship title.
Thamaraj, 29, defeated Uzbekistan’s Khudoyberdiev Diyobek in the men’s open category 2 final (over 110 kg) at the 20th World Silat Championship in the United Arab Emirates recently.
Apart from wanting something different and trying new things, he said techniques such as sweeps, scissors and stylish combat motivated him to delve deeper into the sport.
Thamaraj, who serves as a soldier with the rank of Corporal in the 9th Royal Military Police Corps (military police of the Army), said he was originally a taekwondo exponent before starting to dabble in silat after being encouraged by the interest of his coach and friends he served alongside.
“I can’t describe the happiness I felt when I won the final against the athlete from Uzbekistan.
“I’ve always dreamed of winning a gold medal, and I achieved it with the help and support of my family,” he said.
He said he joined the national squad after winning the gold medal at the 20th National Silat Championship in 2022 in Johor.
"Originally I was into taekwondo in 2016 with the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM).
“Wanting to switch to the world of silat was also quite difficult at that time... because the game pattern of striking, grappling and throwing and rules were different.
"But I trained with a skilled coach and a former world champion, so I quickly learned the techniques and rules of silat," he said.
Pesaka president Datuk Megat Zulkarnain Omardin, was the first to post on social media about Thamaraj being the first Malaysian-Indian to win a world championship gold.
“I intended to show that silat is not just for Malays, it is for everyone,” he said.
Citing examples, he said there are silat exponents of other races such as Iban and Kadazan. - December 24, 2024
