UMS Athletes Contribute Gold, Silver, and Bronze for Central Java at Pomnas XIX 2025

Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS) once again carved out a remarkable achievement in the martial arts branch of pencak silat at the 19th National Student Sports Week (Pomnas XIX 2025). Three silat athletes from UMS strengthened the Central Java contingent, winning 1 gold medal through Kirana Tias Savira (Women’s Class F), 1 silver medal through Maliki Istiqlal Amuskan (Men’s Class C), and 1 bronze medal through Aryo Seno Cahyaningrat (Men’s Class E).

Based on the final medal tally, the Central Java contingent emerged as the overall champion in the pencak silat competition with a haul of 8 gold, 3 silver, and 7 bronze medals. DKI Jakarta followed in second place with 4 gold, 8 silver, and 2 bronze, while West Java came in third with 4 gold, 3 silver, and 1 bronze.

Kirana, UMS athlete wins gold in pencak silat at Pomnas XIX 2025, 25 September 2025. UMS PR/Imam Safii

In the final match, Kirana, a student of the Physical Education department at UMS, delivered an outstanding performance. She defeated a competitor from Lampung with a decisive score of 36-6.

“Alhamdulillah, the match went smoothly, though I was a bit nervous since it was the final. But I’m grateful I managed to win with quite a wide margin,” said Kirana on Friday (26/9/2025).

Kirana admitted she had no special strategy but focused on continuous attacks to secure points. “I just tried to keep attacking, kicking repeatedly, so I could collect more points. Thankfully, the result was a big lead over my opponent,” she added.

The third-semester student expressed her delight at winning a gold medal in Pomnas XIX, which was also her very first participation in the event. “Of course, I’m very happy to be a champion. After this, I’ll focus on preparing for other championships such as PON and Pre-PON,” she added.

Kirana also hoped that her achievement would inspire her fellow UMS silat athletes. “I hope the UMS team can contribute even more gold medals, and that more UMS athletes will qualify for future Pomnas,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Physical Education Study Program at UMS, Dr. Eko Sudarmanto, S.Pd., M.Or., expressed his appreciation for the achievements of his students. He emphasized that these medals were not gained instantly, but were the result of a long process of training and development.

“This medal achievement is truly extraordinary. As Head of the Program, I am proud of the hard work of both the students and the faculty coaches. It proves that our program consistently produces outstanding athletes,” he said.

According to Eko, sporting achievements are also an essential part of shaping student character. This year, the Physical Education program has mapped out students’ interests and talents to be guided toward priority sports. “We will provide serious training so that students can excel at the national and even international level,” he added.

Since its establishment in 2017, the Penjas program at UMS has consistently produced athletes who shine in various championships. “Alhamdulillah, from the very first cohort until today, there has always been a contribution to achievements, both nationally and internationally. But we are constantly reminded to remain humble, because great achievements must always be accompanied by noble character,” he explained.

Furthermore, Eko believes that the haul of one gold, one silver, and one bronze medal at Pomnas XIX should serve as motivation to further improve athlete development. “This result does not make us complacent; rather, it is a challenge to do even better in the future,” he said.

He expressed optimism that UMS has many promising talents who can continue to bring honor to the university on the national stage. “InsyaAllah, we will prepare more new talents. Hopefully, in the next Pomnas, UMS will win even more medals,” he concluded.

Writer: Fika Annisa Solihah

Editor: Maysali Sudarwati

Translator: Farizal Luqman Majid