Penang Silambam Association secretary G Suseela said the nine-member team delivered an outstanding performance, clinching nine gold, five silver, and three bronze medals.

She said that five gold medals were garnered in the Thanithiramai (solo performance) events, while another four golds came from the Poruthal (combat) category.

“The Penang Silambam team represented Malaysia for the first time at this championship and were also named runners-up based on points collected and group champion.

“This success is the outcome of hard work, discipline, dedication and a strong fighting spirit among the athletes, all driven by the desire to make Malaysia proud on the global stage,” she told Bernama today.

Suseela said all the contestants who took part were Penang state athletes from the Malaysia Games (Sukma) contingent, which included four males, namely K Eimaiyan, 16, T Hemkiishen, 14, S Vickyneswaran, 21, and R Prakash, 31.

The five female athletes were B Darnisha, 16, R Bavana, 20, OG Thareenni, 15, VR Raneeshaa, 16, and MR Rinnisha, 19.

She said 11 countries, including Malaysia, took part in the championship, among them Qatar, India, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the US and Singapore, with the Indian team posing the most formidable challenge.

Suseela added that this was the team’s best achievement at the global level, following their success last December when they were crowned overall champions at the Asian Silambam Open Championship, also in Qatar.

She said the athletes underwent six months of intensive training under the guidance of coach P Ravindran, in addition to competing in various national-level tournaments.