UNAIR NEWS – Muhammad Sakti Akmal Hibbansyah, a student at the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences (FPK) UNAIR, won first place at Surabaya Champions held at the Brawijaya City Sports Hall (GOR Kota Brawijaya) in Surabaya from Friday to Sunday (September 11–13, 2026). The competition drew students from various universities across Indonesia. The achievement marks Hibbansyah’s progress in developing his pencak silat skills while representing UNAIR in student sports competitions.
Surabaya Champions is a pencak silat competition that gives students from across Indonesia the opportunity to take part. In the competition, Hibbansyah took first place through the matches he played. This success is an important experience for him to keep developing his potential and joining pencak silat competitions at the next level.
Started with an offer from IPSI UNAIR
Hibbansyah’s participation in Surabaya Champions began with an offer from the Indonesian Pencak Silat Association (IPSI) UNAIR to join a pencak silat competition. The offer piqued his interest, and he decided to seize the opportunity to compete. He then went through the registration process until he could take part in the event.
“Some time ago, IPSI UNAIR told us about a competition, and I became interested,” he said.
As a student at the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Hibbansyah develops his interest in sports by taking part in pencak silat competitions. The activity gives him a chance to gain experience, hone his skills, and broaden his participation in student activities.
Hibbansyah revealed that his interest in pencak silat has grown for a long time. Although he did not enjoy sports much before, he later found an interest in martial arts, particularly pencak silat. That interest encouraged him to try joining the competition and develop his skills.
Target to represent UNAIR at Provincial Student Sports Week
After winning first place at Surabaya Champions, Hibbansyah hopes to keep taking part in upcoming pencak silat competitions. He also aims to represent UNAIR at the Provincial Student Sports Week (POMPROV) next year.
“I can take part in the next events, too. My target, God willing, is to represent UNAIR at POMPROV next year,” he said.
The target motivates Hibbansyah to keep developing his skills and gain new experiences through sports competitions. He hopes the chance to join the next events will be a step toward improving his achievements while contributing to UNAIR.
Hibbansyah also shared a message for students and the public who want to explore pencak silat: do not be afraid to try. He said that the courage to start is an important part of self-development.
“Don’t be afraid to try. If you’re afraid to try, you’ll never grow. Stay motivated,” he said.
Hibbansyah’s achievement shows UNAIR students’ participation in national-level sports competitions. Through this achievement, he hopes to keep developing his skills, join the next competitions, and represent UNAIR in student sporting events.
Author: Abraham Chrisanta Putra
Editor: Yulia Rohmawati
