MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, SURAKARTA – A student from Muhammadiyah University of Surakarta (UMS) claimed a gold medal in men’s pencak silat at the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand, marking another international achievement for the university.
Tito Hendra Septa Kurnia Wijaya, a first-semester student in the Physical Education program at UMS’s Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, won the men’s Class E division (65-70 kilograms). His victory drew praise from university leaders, who described it as a significant milestone.
Anam Sutopo, dean of the faculty, said Tito was admitted through a special achievement-based track outside Muhammadiyah Tapak Suci cadre system. He noted that the success would serve as a pilot project for improving the recruitment of high performing students from the outset.
“This achievement gives us a strong foundation to refine our admissions strategy and identify talented athletes earlier,” Anam said.
Ahmad Kholid Alghofari, director of the Directorate of Student Affairs and Talent Development at UMS, emphasized that the gold medal resulted from sustained effort and institutional support. He. furthermore, said the achievement reflected close collaboration between the athlete, coaches, and the university leadership.
Tito said his preparation for the SEA Games began well before Idul Fitri. He passed the national selection process and defeated several accomplished athletes. After qualifying, he joined the national training camp and underwent intensive preparation.
“I am grateful that the long training process led to this result,” Tito said. He, then, added that strong support from UMS played a crucial role in his success and expressed hope that the university would continue producing outstanding athletes in the future.” (Bintang Adrian)
