UBON RATCHATHANI: The national pencak silat squad started off their Asean University Games (AUG) campaign well by immediately meeting their medal target of one gold medal for the sport.

The gold was won in the puteri regu event by Atiqah Fakhira Shaiful Azli, Nur Husnina Abdul Hamid, and Nurmunirah Zahardin at Sunee Tower here today.

In addition, the sport also hauled in three silver medals, in the putera individual event through Mohamad Nur Syahmi Rohamidi, the doubles putera doubles event (Luqman Nul Hakim Che Abdullah and Mohamad Ammar Mohammad Rosli), and the putera regu event (Muhammad Amirul Haiqal Mohamad Yusuf, Muhammad Faiz Danial Mohd Dahalam and Muhammad Nur Hafiz Yusoff Khalid) along with a bronze in the puteri individual event by Mirsha Nurathiqa Mirnawan.

Pencak silat head coach Habizan Othman praised his charges’ accomplishments on the first day, telling reporters that they managed to give great performances even in the face of challenges.

Now that the gold medal target had been met, they would shift focus to hauling in more medals, he added.

“We might get a bonus gold in the silat competition events,” he said.

The gold medal won by the pencak silat squad was the 36th gold for the national contingent, and surpassed the target of 35 gold set by the Higher Education Ministry for the Games. - Bernama