Gold medals in pencak silat are in sight for Malaysia after several national silat exponents marched into the sparring final of their respective weight classes at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia on Sunday.
Three-time world champion Al Jufferi Jamari got a walkover win against Akimkanov Zholdoshbek of Kyrgyzstan in the Class E 65-70kg category to book a meeting with home favourite Komang Harik Adi Putra for the third time this year.
He lost to the Indonesian in February before getting one back at the Belgium Open in May.
In the Class B 50kg-55kg category, two-time SEA Games gold medalist Faizul Nasir secured a convincing 5-0 win over Filipino exponent Dumaan Dines to face Singapore's Abdul Malik in the final.
Also reaching a final was Fauzi Khalid, who defeated Rusdana Amri 3-2 to set up a 2017 SEA Games final rematch with Tran Dinh Nam of Vietnam in the Class F 70kg-75kg category.
Another 2017 SEA Games final rematch was almost on the cards, with Khaizul Yaacob beating Thai exponent Pokjay Tachin 5-0 in his Class J 90kg-95kg semi-final tie.
However, his then vanquisher, Sheik Farhan Sheik Alauddin of Singapore, did not make it to the final as he lost 0-5 to Vietnam's Nguyen Van Tri, who was also a 2017 SEA Games gold medalist albeit in a higher weight class.
In other weight classes, Robial Sobri (Class I 85kg-90kg) and Hazim Amzad (Class C 55kg-60kg) had to settle for bronze after losing to Singapore's Sheik Alauddin Sheik Ferdous and Nguyen Thai Linh of Vietnam respectively.
The only weight category without a Malaysian medal winner was Class D 60kg-65kg after Zarish Hakim Shukor was beaten by Indonesia's Iqbal Candra Pratama in the quarter-finals.
Pencak silat is competed as a full medal event at the Asian Games for the first time this year.
Three-time world champion Al Jufferi Jamari got a walkover win against Akimkanov Zholdoshbek of Kyrgyzstan in the Class E 65-70kg category to book a meeting with home favourite Komang Harik Adi Putra for the third time this year.
He lost to the Indonesian in February before getting one back at the Belgium Open in May.
In the Class B 50kg-55kg category, two-time SEA Games gold medalist Faizul Nasir secured a convincing 5-0 win over Filipino exponent Dumaan Dines to face Singapore's Abdul Malik in the final.
Also reaching a final was Fauzi Khalid, who defeated Rusdana Amri 3-2 to set up a 2017 SEA Games final rematch with Tran Dinh Nam of Vietnam in the Class F 70kg-75kg category.
Another 2017 SEA Games final rematch was almost on the cards, with Khaizul Yaacob beating Thai exponent Pokjay Tachin 5-0 in his Class J 90kg-95kg semi-final tie.
However, his then vanquisher, Sheik Farhan Sheik Alauddin of Singapore, did not make it to the final as he lost 0-5 to Vietnam's Nguyen Van Tri, who was also a 2017 SEA Games gold medalist albeit in a higher weight class.
In other weight classes, Robial Sobri (Class I 85kg-90kg) and Hazim Amzad (Class C 55kg-60kg) had to settle for bronze after losing to Singapore's Sheik Alauddin Sheik Ferdous and Nguyen Thai Linh of Vietnam respectively.
The only weight category without a Malaysian medal winner was Class D 60kg-65kg after Zarish Hakim Shukor was beaten by Indonesia's Iqbal Candra Pratama in the quarter-finals.
Pencak silat is competed as a full medal event at the Asian Games for the first time this year.
