A teenager from Johor has spent more than a decade mastering the traditional Indian martial art of silambam, earning numerous medals and representing the state at national-level competitions multiple times along the way.
P. Vignes, 17, has represented Johor at National School Sports Council (MSSM) championships more than five times and has competed in over 30 tournaments throughout his 11 years’ involvement in the sport.
The silambam practitioner’s latest achievement was clinching the gold medal in the freestyle category at the Tampoi Silambam Competition in Johor Baru.
The Form Five student of SMK Taman Johor Jaya 2 said he was drawn to the traditional Indian martial art because it resonated deeply with his ethnic identity.
“I had the option of taking up taekwondo, karate and many other martial arts, but I wanted something closer to my roots,” said Vignes.
“Many people overlook and underestimate silambam, so I want to show them that it is just as interesting and meaningful as other forms of martial arts.
“I also use my social media page to promote silambam to my friends and other people so that more youths will learn about it,” he said, adding that silambam had taught him discipline, perseverance and self-defence.
Vignes hopes to represent Malaysia on the international stage one day and eventually guide more students to take up the martial art.
Nine-year-old E. Moonashini won gold in the 25kg-40kg category after taking up silambam just a year ago.
The Year Three pupil of SJK (T) Ladang Kulai Besar said she was inspired to learn the martial art after seeing her two elder brothers train in the sport.
“I was happy because I trained for so long and won first place,” she said, adding that practising silambam boosted her confidence and equipped her with self-defence skills.
I. Jagadeeshwar, seven, also returned home with a gold medal despite having taken up silambam only a year ago.
He said his parents encouraged him to train in the traditional Indian martial art while pursuing taekwondo.
“This is my first silambam competition and I am so happy to win a gold medal and make my parents proud,” said Jagadeeshwar.
About 150 participants aged between seven and 17 from across Johor Baru and Kulai showcased their martial art skills in five categories at the Tampoi Silambam Competition.
Organising chairman K. Arumugan, who is also chairman of the Sri Subramaniar Temple in Tampoi, said: “We started conducting silambam classes at the temple about three-and-a-half years ago, but we wanted it to grow beyond a temple activity and become a community programme.”
Arumugan said about RM10,000 was raised through contributions from non-governmental organisations and sponsors to cover food, medals, certificates and other expenses, allowing participants to compete free of charge.
