At least one gold expected from silat as six exponents storm into sparring semis

THE on course Malaysian to contribute pencak at silat least squad one stay gold yed d medal the semi-finals when six of exponents their respective marched men’s to o events in tanding (sparring) today.

Three-time world champion Mohd d

Al-Jufferi Jamari led the way by beating ng

Iranian Akbar Kiyaniyan 5-0 to book a spot in the last four of the Putra E (65-70kg) class in

Padepokan.

Al-Jufferi will take on Zholdoshbek Akimkanov of Kyrgyzstan in the semis.

Seasoned fighter Mohd Fauzi Khalid is also through to the last four of the Putra F (70-75kg) class after strolling to a 5-0 win over Johnny

Vongphakdy of Laos.

However, the 31-year-old has a tough mission ahead as he has to beat Indonesian Amri Rusdana to reach the final.

Mohd Hazim Amzad overcame Timor Leste exponent Dos Santos Barbosa 5-0 in the last eight of the Putra C (55-60kg) class yesterday and will go up against Nguyen Thai Linh of Vietnam to keep alive

a hope for a gold.

Mohd Faizul Nasir defeated Pakistani Mohd Adnan 5-0 in the Putra B (50-55kg) class to set up a semi-final clash against Dumaan Dines of the Philippines today. Muhamad Robial Sobri got into the winning act a with a 4-1 win over Thai Tonkhieo Pimpirat in n the Putra Class 1 (85-90kg) class. He will take on SSingapore’s Sheik Alauddin Sheik Ferdous for a place in the final. Mohd Khaizul Yaacob, a silver medallist at the KL SEA Games last year, also did well to beat Iranian Mohamad Mortazi 5-0 in the Putra J (9095kg) class. He faces Thailand’s Pokjay Tachin in the semis today. “We have four gold medallists from the KL SEA Games – Al-Jufferi, Fauzi, Faizul and Robial – contesting in the semis. We hope all four exponents will make it to the finals,” said team manager Mohamad Mat Amin. “All of them have a chance to get the gold for Malaysia.” Malaysia do not have any interest in the Puteri categories after Siti Shazwana Ajak and world champion Siti Rahmah Mohd Nasir were eliminated in the Class C (55-60kg) and Class D (60-65kg) respectively.

— AFP Here it comes: Malaysia’s Mohd Al-Jufferi Jamari (right) competing against Iran’sAkbar Kiyaniyan during the Putra E (65-70kg) quarter-finals on Friday.