"I praise the Merpati Putih central management and the officials who have supported this championship as part of the commitment and consistency in the pencak silat development in Indonesia," Minister Ariotedjo stated.
He encouraged the participants to make the most of the championship as an event to hone their skills.
The minister also invited all pencak silat athletes to incessantly strive to improve themselves to compete in various international-level tournaments to be held in the near future.
Participation soared at the 2024 Merpati Putih National Championship, now in its seventh iteration.
"More than 1,030 participants are competing in four categories in this competition," Mohamad Hasan, chairman of the Pencak Silat Merpati Putih Academy, stated.
Athletes at the 2024 Merpati Putih Pencak Silat National Championship compete across four categories: match, movement, stamina, and vibravision. In the vibravision category, competitors demonstrate their mastery of specialized breathing techniques.
On the occasion, students at the Merpati Putih, a 61-year-old pencak silat academy known for its mastery of breathing techniques, also presented the power of breathing by destroying bricks and steel plates.
In addition, the opening of the Merpati Putih National Championship presented the academy's unique pencak silat movements.
Participants at this championship came from various age groups, including children, teenagers, adults, and seniors.
Last week, the Youth and Sports Ministry (Menpora) Pencak Silat Cup was also held at the TMII Park on November 14-17.
Minister Ariotedjo said that the championship was part of the government's commitment to preserving pencak silat as Indonesian martial arts.
Related news: Pencak silat promotes Indonesia's sports, cultural diplomacy: official
Related news: Indonesia's Prabowo seeks IOC nod for pencak silat
Translator: Aditya R, Kenzu
Editor: Azis Kurmala
Copyright © ANTARA 2024
