Cambodia’s pencak silat athletes will benefit from fresh expertise as Indonesia has dispatched a senior coach to train practitioners of Indonesia’s traditional martial art. He will train fighters in Phnom Penh through a three-month training programme aimed at boosting the Kingdom’s performance on the international stage.
“The initiative is spearheaded by the International Pencak Silat Federation (IPSF) in cooperation with the Indonesian Ministry of Youth and Sports,” explained a September 26 statement from the Indonesian embassy.
To mark the start of the programme, the embassy hosted a handover ceremony. It was attended by Indonesian ambassador Santo Darmosumarto and Ou Dara, secretary-general of the Cambodia Pencak Silat Federation, alongside representatives of both countries’ federations.
The coach, Lutfan Budi Santosa, is no stranger to Cambodia.
He first introduced pencak silat to the Kingdom in 2023, leading the national team’s preparations for their debut at the 32nd SEA Games in Phnom Penh.
“That campaign exceeded expectations, as Cambodia secured its first-ever pencak silat gold medal,” said the embassy.
Speaking at the ceremony, ambassador Santo said the cooperation reflected more than sporting exchange.
“Our two countries share a long history of cultural ties. Today’s event shows our commitment to translate these ties into greater mutual understanding, mutual respect, friendship and concrete cooperation,” he said.
Dara praised Indonesia’s continued support, describing it as “an act of friendship”.
He also drew parallels between pencak silat and Cambodia’s traditional martial art Kun Bokator, noting the similarities in movement and spirit.
“We believe pencak silat will grow to become a popular sport in Cambodia,” he added.
The timing of coach Lutfan’s return is crucial as Cambodia prepares for major competitions, including the 3rd Asian Youth Games in Bahrain in October and the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand this December.
More than 90 Cambodian athletes are currently bidding for selection.
Recognised by UNESCO in 2019 as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, pencak silat is one of Indonesia’s most cherished cultural traditions.
By sharing it with Cambodia, Indonesia aims to deepen both sporting cooperation and people-to-people ties.
This was recently underscored by Minister of Education, Youth and Sport Hang Chuon Naron, who discussed the importance of developing pencak silat with ambassador Santo earlier this month.
The IPSF, founded in 1980 and currently chaired by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, actively promotes the martial art worldwide.
According to the Indonesia embassy, Prabowo reaffirmed this commitment during his May 2025 meeting in Jakarta with Senate president Hun Sen, when the two leaders discussed advancing cooperation in sports and cultural exchanges.
