PORTALJABAR, GARUT REGENCY - Head of the Garut Regency Youth and Sports Agency (Dispora) Asep Mulyana officially opened the 2026 Garut Open Silat Series championship at the Cikuray Sports Hall, RAA Adiwijaya Sports Hall, Tarogong Kidul District, Garut Regency, Friday (2/10/2026).

The championship was attended by 600 athletes from 25 paguron (sporting associations). In his remarks, Asep Mulyana expressed his appreciation to the committee, event organizers (EO), and sponsors for organizing the championship.

According to him, the 2026 Garut Open Silat Series was of high quality and could serve as a model for other sporting events.

"I give it two thumbs up because I see that this doesn't mean other events aren't good, but perhaps this should be a momentum that can be used as an example for other events, so that there are values that can be sold to sponsors and visitors who feel comfortable watching the matches here when everything is indeed complete here," he said.

The Head of the Garut Youth and Sports Agency hopes the championship will not end with the closing ceremony and the crowning of the champion. He encouraged the Indonesian Pencak Silat Association (IPSI) of Garut Regency to formulate long-term development through integrated training camps.

Asep revealed that Garut martial artists have a strong reputation in the Singles, Doubles, and Team (TGR) categories. He added that other regions have even taken Garut's contingent into account in these categories.

However, he reminded that the fighting or competition sector is still a shared homework (PR) that needs to be evaluated, considering Garut's history as a region that has many silat champions.

"Because TGR is our pride, but on the other hand, our competition is still weak, our fighting is still weak even though we are a warehouse of champions. Garut is famous for being champions, but in this fight, it must be our homework," he continued.

As a form of commitment to coaching, the Garut Regency Youth and Sports Agency stated that it is ready to facilitate the use of the Self-Defense Sports Hall free of charge for champion athletes who are included in the regular training camp program, either once a week or once a month.

Closing his remarks, Asep Mulyana advised all referees and judges on duty to uphold their oath of office, prioritize professionalism, and maintain neutrality for the sake of objectivity in judging and match security.

"I am convinced that the judges and referees themselves swear an oath before God to always prioritize neutrality and to always act in a fair and sportsmanlike manner when determining the winners," he emphasized.

(Garut Regency Communications and Information Service/bhf)