MELAKA, Aug 1 — Four-time world champion Mohd Al-Jufferi Jamari finally said goodbye to the world of competitive professional silat that has been a part of his life for the past 15 years.
The Pahang-born exponent said his victory at the 2022 World Pencak Silat Championship last night was the icing on the cake of a colourful journey in pursuit of glory for the country and to preserve the heritage of the Malay martial art.
“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 after his final bout last night.
The 30-year-old exponent bagged his fourth world title after winning the gold medal at the championship at the Melaka International Trade Center (MITC) Hall last night.
In the Class F Putera category, the four-time SEA Games gold medallist defeated Indonesian exponent Iqbal Chandra Pratama with a score of 35-21.
Mohd Al-Jufferi said cited injuries reasons as one of the reasons for his retirement from competitive silat, especially the one to his right shoulder that he had been managing for some time.
On his future plans, the protege of coach Mazlan Shaari said he will now focus on the Semboyan Warrior Academy which is being developed in Saujana Putra, Selangor in an effort to discover new talent. — Bernama
