Jakarta, (ANTARA News) - Indonesia has emerged as the overall champion of the Pencak Silat branch at the 18th Asian Games 2018 held in the country`s cities of Jakarta and Palembang from Aug 18 to Sept 2.

The country`s martial arts champs, who brought fame to the host country Indonesia in Pancak Silat at the 18th Asian Games 2018 are Puspa Arumsari in the women`s single; Yola Primadona Jampil and Hendy in the men`s double; Nunu Nugraha, Asep Yuldan Sani, and Anggi Faisal Mubarok in the men`s artistic group; Aji Bangkit Pamungkas in the men`s class 85 kilograms-90 kilograms; Komang Harik Adi Putra in men`s class E of 65-70 kilograms; Iqbal Candra Pratama in the men`s D category of 60 kilograms-65 kilograms; Sarah Tria Monita in the women`s C category of 55 kilograms-60 kilograms; and Abdul Malik in the Men`s B category of 50 kilograms-55 kilograms.

The other Pencak Silat champs are Sugianto in the men`s single art event; Ayu Sidan Wilantari and Ni Made Dwiyanti in the women`s double art category; Pramudya Yuristya/Lutfi Nurhasanah/Gina Tri Lestari in the women`s group; Pipiet Kamelia in the women`s D class of 60 kilograms-65 kilograms; Hanifan Yudani Kusumah in the martial arts event; and Wewey Wita in the women`s B class of 50kg-55kg.

The first gold medal in Pencak Silat was grabbed by Puspa Arumsari for Indonesia after achieving the highest point in the Women`s Single finals on Monday (Aug 27).

Arumsari`s performance earned her the highest point of 467, beating her Singaporean opponent Nurzuhairah Mohammad Yazid, with 445 points, winning a silver medal, as well her Filipino opponent Cherry May Regalado, with 444 points, and winning the bronze medal.

Another gold medal was won by Yola Primadona Jampil and Hendy, who achieved the highest score of 580 points in the men`s doubles category on the same day on Monday.

Both athletes in the men`s doubles category scored 580 points and defeated their opponents from Vietnam, Duc Danh Tran and Hong Quan Le, who won the silver medal with 562 points, while Mohd Taqiyuddin Hamid and Muhammad Afifi Nordin from Malaysia won the bronze medal, with a score of 560 points.

In fact, Malaysia was tied with Thailand, with both scoring 560 points, but after deliberations and taking into account the movements and strengths, it was decided that Malaysia would come in the third place.

Nunu Nugraha, Asep Yuldan Sani, and Anggi Faisal Mubarok won the gold, with 465 points, in Pencak Silat`s men`s artistic group category.

The group was able to defeat their opponents, including the group from Vietnam, comprising Tien Dung Vu, Xuan Thanh Nguyen, and Van Nam Luu, who won a silver medal, with 450 points, while the group from Thailand of Fadil Dama, Masofee Wani, and Islamee Wani won a bronze medal, with 448 points.

Indonesian athlete Aji Bangkit Pamungkas, won a gold medal after defeating Singaporean athlete Sheik Ferdous Sheik Alauddin. Pamungkas made a landslide score of 5-0 in the men`s class 85 kilograms-90 kilograms. He contributed the fourth gold medal for Indonesia at the 2018 Asian Games.

Komang Harik Adi Putra won the fifth gold medal after defeating Malaysia`s mainstay fighter, Mohd Al Jufferi Jamari, in the final round of Pencak Silat.

In the match, held at the Padepokan Pencak Silat Taman Mini Indonesia Indah in East Jakarta, Adi Putra won, with a score of 4-1, in the men`s class E of 65-70 kilograms.

Since the first round, Adi Putra managed to master the game by slamming the Malaysian martial arts athlete to the floor twice.

Slamming an opponent to the floor once will earn three points, or the highest point in a martial arts match. In this round, Adi Putra excelled, with the acquisition of 10-1.10-2.10.10.8.8-3 points, and 12-4.

Moreover, on Monday Aug 27, Indonesian athlete Iqbal Candra Pratama contributed the sixth gold medal after beating Vietnamese Ngoc Toan Nguyen in the men`s D category of 60 kilograms-65 kilograms. Iqbal outclassed the Vietnamese athlete, with a score of 4-1, during the bout.

The seventh and eight gold medals were contributed to the host country through its athletes Sarah Tria Monita in the women`s C category of 55 kilograms-60 kilograms and through Abdul Malik in the Men`s B category of 50 kilograms-55 kilograms.

Sarah Tria Monita defeated her Lao rival Nong Oy Vongphakdy, with a score 5-0, while her compatriot Abdul Malik beat his opponent Malaysian Muhammad Faizul M Nasir, with a landslide score of 5-0 during their bout. With these two victories, Indonesian Pencak Silat has contributed eight gold medals.

On Wednesday, Aug 29, Sugianto won the ninth gold medal in "pencak silat" after collecting the highest points in the men`s single artistic event.

He scored 471 points, defeating his opponent from Thailand Ilyas Sadara, who garnered 460 points to get a silver medal. The bronze medal went to Almohaidis Abad from the Philippines, with 455 points.

In the meantime, on the same day, Aug 29, Indonesian pencak silat athletes Ayu Sidan Wilantari and Ni Made Dwiyanti won the 10th gold medal in the women`s double artistic category event. The Indonesian pair, scoring the highest of 574 points, defeated Thailand`s Saowanee Chanthamunee and Oraya Choosuwan in the second place and Malaysia`s Nor Hamizah Abu Hasan and Nur Syazreen A. Malik in the third place.

The eleventh gold medal in the Pencak Silat event was taken home by Indonesian Pramudya Yuristya/Lutfi Nurhasanah/Gina Tri Lestari in the women`s group finals.

The trio Yuristya/Nurhasanah/Lestari secured the highest score of 466, only two points more than their Vietnamese opponents Thi Thu Ha Nguyen/Thi Huyen Nguyen/Thi Binh Voung, who secured 464 points, and ended up with the silver medal. The third place was occupied by Thai athletes As Ma Jeh Ma/Yuweeta Samahoh/Ruhana Chearbuli, as they got 448 points and won the bronze medal.

Indonesia`s Pencak Silat athlete Pipiet Kamelia grabbed the 12th gold medal in the finals. She defeated Vietnamese athlete Thi Cam Nhi Nguyen in the women`s D class of 60 kilograms-65 kilograms. Kamelia won a landslide victory, with a score of 5-0, over Nguyen.

She managed to win a gold medal, while Nguyen had to settle for the second place with a silver medal. During the match, Kamelia tried to suppress the opponent`s defense by carrying out several attacks, both punches and kicks.

Although Nguyen continued to launch attacks, she was unable to equalize the points that Kamelia had scored until the end of the third round.

Furthermore, on Wednesday, Aug 29, Indonesia`s Hanifan Yudani Kusumah bagged the 13th gold medal in the martial arts event after beating Vietnamese athlete Thai Linh Nguyen, with a score of 3-2, in the men`s C category of 55 kilograms-60 kilograms of the Asian Games.

Wewey Wita concluded the competition in the Pencat Silat events, with a good victory, by clinching the 14th gold medal in the women`s B class of 50 kilograms-55 kilogram after outclassing Vietnamse Thi Then Tran, with a score of 5-0.

With this victory, Wita won the gold medal, while Tran had to settle for second place, with a silver medal.

Wita`s victory made Indonesia the overall champion in the martial arts, with a total of 14 gold medals and one bronze, from 16 events contested during the Asian Games 2018.

Editing by Bustanudin

Reporter: Andi Abdussalam
Editor: Suharto
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