wo pencak silat athletes from the orphanage Anak Putra Utama 3, managed by the Jakarta Social Agency, have won medals in the East Jakarta Mayoral Pencak Silat Cup.
Around 400 athletes from 27 pencak silat clubs took part in the tournament, which was held from Tuesday until Thursday at the Makassar District sports hall. The tournament was divided into various age categories, from toddlers to teenagers.
“Ananda Ismail wins gold and Dean Saputra takes silver at the teenager level, both are grade-10 students representing the Persaudaraan Setia Hati Terate Pencak Silat club,” the head of the orphanage, Ucu Rahayu, said in a statement on Friday.
She said Ismail had lived at the orphanage since he was a toddler, while Dean had been sent to the institution due to financial distress of his family.
However, the hardship they had experienced did not prevent them from becoming champions, she added.
According to Ucu, both Ismail and Dean were diligent students and engaged in orphanage activities. Every Sunday, they trained at the pencak silat club.
“We are really grateful and proud of their achievements. Such champions cannot be produced in one day, it takes a long process and perseverance,” said Ucu, adding that the orphanage management would continue supporting the children. (iwa)
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