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BANTING – Former champion Mohd Al-Jufferi Jamari still yearns for glory but is not thinking too hard about gold at the Hanoi SEA Games in May.
Al-Jufferi admitted that he has to be cautious following his switch from Putra Class E (65-70kg) to Putra Class F (70-75kg) after suffering a knee injury.
“Alhamdulilah (Praise be to God), I’m fine now but need to be cautious because the injury has a long-term effect. I need to adapt to the Class F competition as I was used to Class E, which gives more emphasis on speed and power. Class F is heavier and a bit slower.
“Recently, in Singapore (Southeast Asian Silat Championship) I found the going tough (in Class F). I have to work out a way to reach the final first, before thinking about gold,” he told Bernama after the launch of the Semboyan Warrior Silat Academy here last night.
Malaysia will send 612 athletes to the Vietnam SEA Games 2021, which was postponed to May 12-23 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Al-Jufferi said the national silat team will be heading to Langkawi on March 29 for a two-week training session, before joining a “sports bubble” of the National Sports Council on April 19 until the end of the games.
Asked on the academy, he said it was jointly established with the Semboyan Malaysia Consumers Association and would begin operations on April 1.
So far 20 students have signed up for the academy, which is managed full time by Al-Jufferi.
“The academy offers several modules of study over five stages, and the high achievers will be sent for competition at the national level or higher,” he added.
Al-Jufferi won the SEA Games gold in Indonesia in 2011, Myanmar (2013), Singapore (2015) and Kuala Lumpur (2017).
He also won the world championship in 2012, 2015 and 2016. – Bernama, March 28, 2022