SUAVE SILAMBAM COMPETITOR MOTHIKA BAGS WIN AFTER WIN

-Sridevi Meenal Shanmugam

Meet Mothika of III BA English Literature (AIDED), the face that represented Indian Silambam and secured gold in an International level competition.

You won’t be surprised to know that this is just one of her many accomplishments, and there’s more to come. She has been vigorously practising Silambam since she was in grade 4 and continues to do so. She has secured gold in three different categories, Single Stick, Double Stick and Thodu Silambam (70kg weight category) at WUSF Zonal Championship 2022 held in Salem; a gold in State level International Youth Silambam & Karate Youth Games Championship 2023 held in Kangeyam; a gold in Single Stick and a Fighting event at an International Martial Arts Festival held in Pondicherry the same year.

Mothika recently participated in the International Silambam Open Championship 2024, which was organised by the International Silambam Federation under the Ministry of Youth & Sports of Malaysia. In the sub-senior category, she secured gold for showcasing individual talent and silver for stick fighting.

Apart from her wins, she has been awarded the “Thalaivi Viruthu” by People Legal Rights Social Service Movements and Universal Achievers Books of Records for her unwavering and excellent contribution to society by participating and winning in the Zonal State and International level competitions.

Here’s a comprehensive interview with the young Silambam star where she shares her personal experiences and how it has helped her grow into who she is today;

What sparked your interest in Silambam?

I have always enjoyed trying out different activities and picking up hobbies during the holidays. Just like that, I found a summer class for Silambam in a Pamphlet and immediately wanted to try it out. It soon became an interest. I even took a break from Silambam for about two years, but the constant cheers and encouragement from people around me truly kept me going.

Have you ever felt frustrated during matches because you felt like you were not doing as well as you’d like?

Many times! This happens to anyone who picks up a sport. They eventually get burnt out and feel like their practice hasn’t paid off. The key is to never give up. I recall an instance from my recent Malaysia Finals match where my stick accidentally struck my opponent, drawing blood. Since my opponent wasn’t wearing a helmet, I wasn’t disqualified, but they deducted one point from my score, leaving me unmotivated. Nevertheless, I’m glad to have won the game.

How does it feel to represent your home state and country in Silambam? Do you feel a sense of pride?

There is an undeniable feeling of pride in representing my home state and country. This pride wasn't very intense while I was competing at Zonal/State levels, but when I represented our country, it overflowed to a point where I couldn't contain it. I was proud to be the only Indian in the match held in Malaysia. It was unlike any other match and I cherish it a lot.

Out of all the matches you've competed in, which is the most memorable one?

I have two memorable matches that I will never forget. One is from my school days, the State Level SGIF Tournament in Kovilpatti. If I had won, I would have gone to Nationals directly, but I hurt my nose in the finals and was bleeding. I couldn’t move forward with the match and was placed second. The next one is obviously my Malaysia match, it was surreal as it was my first time travelling outside India and I was very honoured to be the only Indian in my category.

What advice would you give to youngsters who are just starting out in Silambam ?

I strongly advise joining a Silambam class with an experienced trainer. Learn Silambam as a lifetime sport. Not only does it foster a sense of safety, security and defence, but also help you gain confidence. Silambam teaches discipline, just like any other sport. This will help you greatly in your future endeavours. Also, there are certain perks in learning Silambam, our government offers several scholarships and job opportunities for people who do sports. I have personally experienced these scholarship benefits, as I now study in our college totally free of cost.

*Picture in Header : Mothika represnting India in her recent Silambam tournament (Picture credit: Mothika)