Pencak Silat, which may be translated as “fighting by many techniques of self-defence”, is a form of martial art that originated from the heritage of the indigenous peoples of the Malay archipelago. It has since become a mainstream sport that is practised by many in Southeast Asia and other parts of the world, including countries such as Germany, France and Japan. In multiracial Singapore, silat is a widely participated sport and “an important contributor of regional and international awards and accolades to Singapore sports”.[1]
In 1990, Sheik Alau’ddin bin Yacoob Marican won Singapore’s first gold medal at the sixth edition of the Pencak Silat World Invitational Championships held in Den Haag, Netherlands.[2] Dubbed Singapore’s “silat king”, Sheik won another gold medal four years later at the world championships held in Hat Yai, Thailand.[3] However, he had to settle for a third-place finish at the 1997 world championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[4]
The two-time silat world champion is also a multiple medallist of the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. Sheik won his first silat SEA Games medal , a silver, at the 1989 games held in Kuala Lumpur.[5] As a result of the sport’s exclusion from the 1991 Manila SEA Games, his next SEA Games medal came four years later at the 1993 Singapore SEA Games where he won gold.[6] Sheik successfully defended his gold medal two years later at the 1995 SEA Games in Chiangmai, Thailand, but had to settle for silver at the 1997 SEA Games in Jakarta, Indonesia.[7] He regained the gold medal at the 1999 SEA Games in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam. However, that was to be his last SEA Games medal, as Singapore’s “silat king” announced his retirement from competitive silat soon after winning the medal.[8]
In addition to his successes at the world championships and the SEA Games, Sheik is the winner of many national and international silat championships. In Singapore, the Sheik won his first silat national individual championship in 1985, and went on to hold the national crown until 1997.[9] On the international arena, Sheik took first place in the 1990 (Malaysia), 1992 (Thailand), 1996 (Malaysia) and 1999 (Philippines) silat international open championships.[10]
Sheik is not only a talented athlete, but also a three-time winner of the Coach of the Year title.[11] In 1998, Sheik was appointed co-coach of Singapore’s national silat team.[12] At the Singapore Sports Award 2000, he was rewarded with his first Coach of the Year award for successfully guiding the national silat team to three golds, two silvers and eight bronzes at the 1999 SEA Games.[13] Sheik also bagged the Coach of the Year awards in 2002 and 2003.[14]
In 2002, Sheik was inducted into the Singapore Sports Council Hall of Fame for his significant contributions to the sport of silat in Singapore.[15]
References
1. Singapore Silat Federation. (2014). Corporate info. Retrieved January 26, 2015, from Singapore Silat Federation website: http://www.persisi.org/aboutus/history.php
2. Singapore National Olympic Council. (2015). Sheik Alau’ddin Bin Yacoob Marican. Retrieved January 26, 2015, from Singapore National Olympic Council website: http://www.singaporeolympics.com/athletes/athletes-v-to-z/sheik-alauddin-bin-yacoob-marican/; Mohd Sani Ali. (1990, September 30). Sheikh menangi emas dalam kejohanan Silat Dunia Keenam [Sheikh wins gold at 6th Silat World Championships] [Microfilm: NL 17125]. Berita Harian, p. 12.
3. Singapore National Olympic Council, 2015, Sheik Alau’ddin Bin Yacoob Marican; Alauddin gives silat golden gleam. (1994, December 27). The Straits Times, p. 26. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
4. Singapore National Olympic Council, 2015, Sheik Alau’ddin Bin Yacoob Marican; S Murali. (1997, May 11). As one Singapore world silat champion falls, another emerges. The Straits Times, p. 38. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
5. Singapore National Olympic Council, 2015, Sheik Alau’ddin Bin Yacoob Marican;Abdul Shukor. (1989, July 28). Four will be fine. The New Paper, p. 28. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
6. Ho, S. (1991, August 6). Silat’s exclusion suits Singapore. The Straits Times, p. 33; Veteran, new face keep silat on top. (1993, December 25). The Straits Times, p. 33. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
7. Ho-Pereira, S. (1995, December 17). Sheik whips Indonesian for sole silat success. The Straits Times, p. 44; Four finalists, and silat just delivers four silvers. (1997, October 19). The Straits Times, p. 47. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
8. Gulam, S. (1999, August 14). Sheikh calls it a day. The New Paper, p. 55. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
9. Singapore National Olympic Council, 2015, Sheik Alau’ddin Bin Yacoob Marican; Ex-champion Sheik to join Jasni at helm. (1998, October 27). The Straits Times, p. 39. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
10. Singapore National Olympic Council, 2015, Sheik Alau’ddin Bin Yacoob Marican.
11. Singapore National Olympic Council, 2015, Sheik Alau’ddin Bin Yacoob Marican; Singapore National Olympic Council. (2015). Coach of the Year. Retrieved January 26, 2015, from Singapore National Olympic Council website: http://www.singaporeolympics.com/awards-recognition/singapore-sports-awards/coach-of-the-year/
12. The Straits Times, 27 Oct 1998, p. 39.
13. Lim, H. M. (2000, April 13). Master and student get a kick. The New Paper, p. 62. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
14. Singapore National Olympic Council, 2015, Coach of the Year.
15. Chan, T. C. (2002, January 11). Magnificent seven honoured today. The Straits Times, p. 2. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
The information in this article is valid as at February 2015 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.