Jakarta contingents once again demonstrated their prowess in the martial arts of Pencak Silat at the National Student Sports Week XIX (POMNas) held at the KH Ahmad Dahlan UMS Auditorium in Surakarta, Central Java.

Shelena Cantika Ridwan achieved her first victory in the Pencak Silat sport by overcoming the challenge of Nusa Tenggara Barat's representative, Baiq Nabila Putri Hidayat, in the Women's Class B (over 50-55 kilograms) with a score of 29-25.

The next victory was achieved by M. Azrul Fitrah H Umar, who performed brilliantly in the B Class for Men (above 50-55 kilograms). This young martial artist successfully secured a decisive win with a score of 34-9 over the representative from South Kalimantan, Abdullah.

Azrul said, this victory is the best step towards the gold podium, which is very difficult, but still open and ready to face opponents in the next match.

"The match earlier didn't pose any significant issues for me, I played fairly, and winning made me satisfied. I am ready for the next match against an athlete from Jambi," he expressed, Wednesday (9/24).

Female athlete Shelena from the Jakarta Pencak Silat team said that this victory boosts optimism in aiming for the gold medal in Pencak Silat and the mission to make Jakarta the overall champion again.

He emphasized the need to conduct an evaluation soon so that he can perform better in the next match.

"My target is to contribute a gold medal. I want to compete to the best of my ability," she asserted.

Deputy Team Manager for Jakarta Pencak Silat, Mohammad Asmawi, stated that there are 26 athletes in Pencak Silat at POMNas XIX, consisting of 16 males and 10 females.

"Our strength is not much different from similar events held previously. We come with a composition of promising young athletes combined with the experience of senior martial artists," he stressed.

He added that at the POMNas XVIII event in South Kalimantan, the Jakarta Pencak Silat team dominated as the main force with five gold medals, three silver, and two bronze.

"This year, our target is to surpass or at least match it. So, we can become the overall champion," he stated.