Malaysian teens revive silambam on the global stage

Free Malaysia Today

A group of young Malaysian silambam practitioners bring home 12 gold medals at the Asia Open Silambam Championship, showcasing the growing appeal of this ancient martial art.   Story by: Dinesh Kumar Maganathan  Shot by: Fauzi Yunus  Presented by: Theevya Ragu  Edited by: Kiera Amin   Read More:  https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/2025/01/24/malaysias-teen-silambam-champs-shine-on-world-stage/   Free Malaysia Today is an independent, bi-lingual news portal with a focus on Malaysian current affairs.    Subscribe to our channel - http://bit.ly/2Qo08ry   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Check us out at https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com  Follow FMT on Facebook: https://bit.ly/49JJoo5  Follow FMT on Dailymotion: https://bit.ly/2WGITHM  Follow FMT on X: https://bit.ly/48zARSW  Follow FMT on Instagram: https://bit.ly/48Cq76h  Follow FMT on TikTok : https://bit.ly/3uKuQFp  Follow FMT Berita on TikTok: https://bit.ly/48vpnQG  Follow FMT Telegram - https://bit.ly/42VyzMX  Follow FMT LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/42YytEb  Follow FMT Lifestyle on Instagram: https://bit.ly/42WrsUj  Follow FMT on WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/49GMbxW  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Download FMT News App:  Google Play – http://bit.ly/2YSuV46  App Store – https://apple.co/2HNH7gZ  Huawei AppGallery - https://bit.ly/2D2OpNP   #FMTLifestyle #Silambam #Indian #MartialArts

Transcript

00:00The crack of the bamboo staff shatters the silence like a thunderclap.

00:05It's a sound that commands attention.

00:08In progress is the ancient Indian martial art called Silambam,

00:12now thriving among Malaysia's youth.

00:15For Darnisha Balaguru, the practice of Silambam offers security,

00:20besides being a nod to her heritage as her own grandparents practiced it too.

00:26As a girl, I had to feel safe and I needed to learn martial arts to protect myself outside.

00:36It's such a sacred martial art.

00:40For fellow practitioner Kavithra Bhaskaran, Silambam is more than self-defense.

00:45It's about mastering the weapons of an ancient tradition.

00:49Her favorite? A pair of swords which she wields with electrifying precision.

00:55These Penangite teens were part of the Malaysian Silambam team

00:59that made history at the Asia Open Silambam Championship in Qatar.

01:04Competing against powerhouse nations like India, Qatar and Oman,

01:09they secured 12 gold medals and the title of overall champions last December.

01:16We will feel scared and nervous, but we all overcome it.

01:20We really were surprised that we won overall champion.

01:24Our aim is six gold only, and after that we won 12 gold medals.

01:28Yeah, of course we feel very proud.

01:31Malaysia Silambam Association President Suresh Muthusamy was astonished.

01:36He said the team from India, where this ancient art form originates, was previously unbeatable.

01:44The victory is really unexpected.

01:47Usually India being the strongest team will be tough to beat.

01:52But this time we actually managed to beat them in all the categories.

01:56Of course, the athletes were elated actually.

01:59They were very happy that they won.

02:01I think more people know about Silambam now.

02:05The association would like to take this opportunity to really market ourselves

02:09and get more students in learning Silambam in Malaysia especially.

02:13Originating in South India over 2,000 years ago,

02:17Silambam found a foothold in Malaysia more than a century ago.

02:21What was once practiced in the jungles of Malaysia in secret

02:25has grown to become a nationwide phenomenon,

02:28especially after its inclusion in the Sukma Games in 2008.

02:34I believe that martial art will actually play a big role

02:38in actually cultivating discipline among our community especially.

02:41Knowing that the problems that have been faced by this community,

02:45I believe that Silambam can be a game changer for the whole community.

02:50From 3,000 practitioners in the 1990s to more than 20,000 today,

02:55Silambam's universal appeal with its usage of weapons

02:59has given rise to non-Indian teams and practitioners in Malaysia,

03:03especially in Sabah and Sarawak.

03:06And Malaysia's recent victory in Qatar

03:09has given them the boost to do better and go bigger.

03:12Plans for an international tournament in Penang this May are already underway.

03:17This time, they hope to double the participation to 12 countries.

03:22When we already take the gold medal,

03:24we already been in the highest place,

03:27so we need to maintain the rank, so we need to go more further.

03:32In some categories, I didn't fulfill my achievements.

03:38I think, yeah, so I want to do better in the next competition.

03:43Thanks to passionate advocates like Suresh

03:46and determined young athletes like Danisha and Kavithra,

03:49the future of Silambam in Malaysia is poised for greatness.

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