PETALING JAYA: The switch from taekwondo to silat seems to have paid off for army officer V. Thamaraj.
He etched his name in the sports history books by being the first Malaysian-Indian to win a World Championship title.
Thamaraj, 28, took the gold medal by beating Uzbekistan’s Diyorbek Khudoyberdiev in the men’s open category (over 110kg) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on Sunday.
It is a remarkable victory for someone who only switched to the sport two years ago.
Previously, he represented the Armed Forces in army competitions for taekwondo.
Despite getting into silat only in 2022, he showed his mettle by winning the national championships that same year.
Last year, he was drafted to the national team.
And now, he can call himself a world champion.
Warrior spirit: Thamaraj standing on top of the podium during the event in Abu Dhabi. — Photo taken from the Majlis Sukan Negara Facebook
“I was into taekwondo for a while and I had competed in it for the Armed Forces since 2016. To switch to a new martial art was not an easy process because the laws and disciplines are different,” said Thamaraj, who is a corporal.
“I like the art of silat, especially the way you take down opponents. The switch has been worth it. Beating Diyorbek was like a dream come true, I was lost for words when my hands were raised.
“This would not have happened if it wasn’t for the help of the National Silat Federation (Pesaka), the National Sports Council, and the National Sports Institute. I aimed to win it and I did it. It feels good.”
Pesaka president Datuk Megat Zulkarnain Omardin, who was the first to post on social media about Thamaraj being the first Malaysian-Indian to win a world championship gold, said:
“My intention was to show that silat is not just for Malays, it is for everyone.”
Citing examples, he said there are silat exponents of other races such as Iban and Kadazan.
As for Thamaraj, who is from Sungai Petani, Megat Zulkarnain described him as a “quiet, disciplined, hard-working and dedicated athlete.”
“I always had the belief that he would be a world champion one day.”
Megat Zulkarnain revealed that Thamaraj was battling in the final with an injury, but summoned every ounce of his courage and energy to get the win.
“In the final, he had a leg injury, but I told him not to let his opponent rob him of a chance for world glory.”
He encouraged the army man to show his warrior spirit and to be brave during the six minutes on the mat.
Megat Zulkarnain was also delighted that Malaysia bagged six gold medals in the tournament.
“I am proud of our team. They excelled on the biggest stage.”
The gold medals were won by Nor Farah Mazlan (women’s category A), Siti Shazwana Ajak (women’s category D), Abdul Latif Maxzakir (men’s category H), Danial Azray-Danial Azrol (men’s seni ganda), Ahmad Fauzan (men’s solo creative) and Thamaraj.
Malaysia also won nine silvers and four bronzes in Abu Dhabi.
