7th Asian and Middle East Open Pencak Silat Championship to be held in November

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Dubai is set to witness an unparalleled martial art spectacle this November as the 7th Asian Pencak Silat Championship and the 1st Middle East Open Pencak Silat Championship takes centre stage at Rashid Bin Hamdan Hall in Al Nasr Club.

With over 300 athletes and 100 officials from 15 countries worldwide converging in the Emirate, this championship promises to be a celebration of athletic prowess, cultural heritage, and international unity.

Pencak Silat is a collective word of an indigenous martial art from the geo-cultural area of Nusantara Archipelago since 6th century. It is an ancient dynamic unarmed and armed combative art of self-defense, unveiling of intangible culture heritage on the artistic relentless body movement and sport promoting personal development, endurance, discipline, well-being, cultural preservation and community building.

Pencak Silat was inscribed by UNESCO’s “Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” on 12th December 2019. There are 70 National Federation worldwide, 37 Asian Pencak Silat Federation and 14 countries are the members of the National Olympic Council.

What makes this competition particularly exciting is the dynamic and captivating nature of Pencak Silat itself. Combining elements of self-defense, artistic expression, and traditional music, it offers a visually stunning and emotionally engaging experience for both participants and spectators alike.

The fluid movements, graceful forms, and powerful strikes of Pencak Silat practitioners have garnered worldwide admiration.

Furthermore, the championship serves as a cultural bridge, uniting and connecting people from different corners of the globe to come together. It provides a platform for athletes to share their unique cultural heritages while fostering camaraderie among nations.

Master Coach Roy Z. Kamsanee, President of UAE Pencak Silat and teaches this dynamic martial art at VIC Sports Complex Dubai, said: “It is an honour for us to host two international Pencak Silat championship in Dubai and this is the first ever in the history of UAE and the entire middle. We have mapped our next championship in Abu Dhabi for Pencak Silat World Cup in March 2024 followed by the second Middle East Open Pencak Silat championship. We have received positive feedbacks from other Pencak Silat Federation around the world about the upcoming championships in UAE.”

Hollywood Actors, Iko Uwais from the movie Expan4ables will be demonstrating Pencak Silat along with Cecep Rahman, who acted with Keanu Reeve in John Wick3.

The upcoming championships are part of the strategy to the route map to the Olympics and to cultivate the interest of more than 190 nationalities residing in the UAE.

Dr Sheik Alau’ddin, President of Asian Pencak Silat Federation, expressed his confidence for this championships to be held in the UAE.

The 7th Asian Pencak Silat Championship is limited to ASIAN countries and the first edition of Middle East Pencak Silat Championship is open to all federations, associations, states, provinces and international clubs to compete.

The 7th Asian Pencak Silat Championship and 1st Middle East Pencak Silat Championship promises to be a vibrant, thrilling, and culturally enriching experience that will captivate audiences worldwide.