Making Rare Switch From Silat To Wushu

Khadijah and Adib will be first non-Chinese wushu sanda athletes at the SEA Games

- Deepanraj Ganesan

The sport of silat has brought joy and heartbreak to Siti Khadijah Shahrem.

Since picking it up at 11, she has won medals at the SEA and Asian Games, and earned a Sportswoman of the Year nomination for the 2023 Singapore Sports Awards.

But in 2025, the 24-year-old hit a low when she missed out on selection for the SEA Games.

With only the women's Class B (50-55kg) and Class C (55-60kg) categories contested in Thailand, Khadijah - who won a bronze at the 2022 Games in Class F (70-75kg) and competed in Class D (60-65kg) at the last edition - decided to cut weight to contest in Class C.

Though she managed to make weight, she fell short at Singapore Silat Federation's (SSF) internal selection trials in March - 18-year-old Rifqah Mursyidah Mistam earned the spot instead.

It was a crushing blow for Khadijah, who was determined to compete at her third consecutive SEA Games.

"I cried because I was disappointed and frustrated, I put in so much work to bring my weight down," said Khadijah.

Just when it seemed like her dream was over, wushu came calling.

National silat coach Rafili Ramli asked if she would be interested in taking up wushu sanda for the SEA Games. The Chinese martial art of wushu comprises two forms: Taolu is the performance of choreographed routines, while sanda is a full-contact combat sport.

Despite it being a different and Chinese-dominated sport, Khadijah said yes almost immediately.