S’pore’s Sheik Farhan becomes silat world champion

PHUKET — A quarter of a century after his father was crowned world champion, Singapore national silat exponent Sheik Farhan Sheik Alau’ddin has also followed suit.

Yesterday (Jan 16), the 17-year-old, son of two-time world champion Sheik Alau’ddin, secured Singapore its first gold medal at the 2015 Pencak Silat World Championships in Phuket, Thailand after overcoming Vietnam’s Mach Quoc Hung 3-2 in the final of the Class J (90-95kg) category.

He had beaten Malaysia’s Azrul Abdullah 4-1 in the semi-finals. Singapore also won three silver and three bronze medals at the meet.

Sheik Alau’ddin, who is also chief executive officer of the Singapore Silat Federation, had won the first of his two world titles at the World Championships in the Netherlands in 1990, before adding a second crown in Thailand four years later.

Among those to congratulate Sheik Farhan on his achievement was Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong.

“Great achievement for someone who just recovered from a shin injury and who’s competing for the first time in the tournament,” Wong wrote on his Facebook page.

“Farhan’s father is former silat world champion Sheik Alau’ddin, and I’m glad he’s continuing the family tradition of excellence in this sport!”