M'sian World Champion Retires From Competitive Silat After Winning 4th World Title
The Pahang-born fighter had decided to compete despite nursing an injured right shoulder.
By May Vin Ang — 04 Aug 2022, 10:41 AM
National pencak silat athlete Jufferi Jamari has announced his retirement in competitive professional silat after stunningly winning his fourth world title over the weekend
The 30-year-old bagged the gold medal at the 2022 World Pencak Silat Championship held at the Melaka International Trade Center (MITC) Hall on Sunday, 31 July.
According to Bernama, Jufferi defeated Indonesia's Iqbal Chandra Pratama in the Class F Putera category with a score of 35-21 in the finals.
His victory was announced by the championship's official Facebook page, OneSilat, with a photo of the father holding his son in touching embrace after the win.
Jufferi said his victory at the world championship was the icing on the cake in his pursuit of glory for the country in pencak silat
He also hopes his win will also serve as a reminder to preserve the heritage of the Malay martial arts.
"Tonight, I have officially retired. Regardless of whether I won the gold or not, I would have stood firm in my decision to end my career after almost 15 years in this field," he told reporters on Sunday.
The Pahang-born cited injuries as one of the reasons for his retirement from competitive silat, especially the one to his right shoulder that he has been managing for some time.
According to New Straits Times, the Pahang-born fighter was injured during the Hanoi 2021 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, but decided to put his surgery on hold and withstand the pain for a chance at winning his fourth world title.
The four-time world champion said he will now focus on discovering new talent during his retirement
As the protégé of national coach Mazlan Shaari, Jufferi will be dedicating his time at the Semboyan Warrior Academy, which is being developed in Saujana Putra, Selangor.
The father-of-one also disclosed that he is hoping to spend more time with his three-year-old son, who was diagnosed with cancer.
