UMS Pencak Silat Athletes Achieve Success at POMNas XIX 2025

Another proud achievement was secured by students of Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS) at the 19th National Student Sports Week (Pomnas XIX 2025) in the pencak silat competition, held at the KH Ahmad Dahlan Edutorium UMS, Thursday (25/9/2025).

Four UMS silat athletes were entrusted to represent Central Java in this prestigious event. They were Maliki Istiqlal Amuskan (Men’s Class C), Aryo Seno Cahyaningrat (Men’s Class E), Rayhana Maulida Syakirah (Women’s Class E), and Kirana Tias Savira (Women’s Class F).

Aryo Seno Cahyaningrat successfully earned a bronze medal after a hard-fought battle in the Men’s Class E category. His journey ended in the semifinals after facing an athlete from West Sumatra. Nonetheless, his efforts contributed an additional medal to Central Java’s tally.

“Alhamdulillah, I am very grateful to have won bronze. The opponents were very tough, but this was a truly memorable experience. My hope is that Central Java will continue to advance, and UMS will keep producing outstanding athletes who can compete at the international level,” Aryo said after the semifinal on Thursday.

Two other UMS athletes, Maliki Istiqlal Amuskan and Kirana Tias Savira, successfully advanced to the final round. Both will compete in the decisive match for the gold medal in their respective classes.

The Vice Dean III of the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education at UMS, who also serves as coach of the Central Java contingent, Dr. Nur Subekti, M.Or., expressed optimism about Maliki and Kirana’s chances. According to him, both athletes have already shown their best qualities in terms of physical ability and technical skills.

“Insyaallah they deserve to be in the final. What needs strengthening now is their mental maturity, since this is their first event at the national level. Physically, technically, and tactically, they are ready,” explained Nur Subekti.

He predicted that Kirana will likely face an opponent from West Nusa Tenggara or Lampung. Meanwhile, the main focus of the coaching team is to maintain the athletes’ motivation so they don’t feel satisfied too soon with just reaching the final.

“The main challenge in the final usually lies in psychological factors. But with strong mental preparation, insyaallah they’ll be ready,” he added.

Kirana herself admitted she was proud to reach the final after a tough quarter-final against an athlete from Jakarta. “The match was quite tense. My hope is to win and bring home the gold medal for my parents and UMS,” she said.

Meanwhile, Maliki, who is still in his third semester, remains optimistic ahead of the final match. Despite having limited experience in national-level championships, he is determined to give his best performance to bring pride to Central Java and UMS.

The achievement of one bronze medal and two tickets to the final, he added, is clear evidence that UMS consistently produces outstanding athletes. The Pomnas also provides an opportunity for UMS students to showcase their contributions beyond academics.

Writer: Fika Annisa Solihah

Editor: Maysali Sudarwati

Translator: Farizal Luqman Majid