ULM Makes South Kalimantan Proud, Shorinji Kempo Team Wins Two Golds and Places Fifth Place Nationally
Banjarmasin – The Shorinji Kempo Team of Lambung Mangkurat University (ULM) successfully made South Kalimantan proud in the 2025 Student Martial Arts Sports Invitation event, which was held at the Otista Sports Arena, East Jakarta, on May 20–22, 2025.
From this prestigious inter-student championship, ULM managed to contribute two gold medals, one bronze, and led South Kalimantan to rank in the top five nationally in the final standings.
This achievement cannot be separated from the brilliant performances of the athletes, especially from the Physical Education, Health, and Recreation Study Program (JPOK) FKIP ULM. The two gold medals were won by Rizky Kurnia Nugraha (Men’s Randori 65–70 Kg class) and Berfex Ramadhani (Men’s Randori 60–65 Kg class), both of whom are ULM JPOK students.
“We are proud of this team’s achievements. Despite the many challenges leading up to the championship, the spirit and discipline of ULM athletes remain high,” said Dr. Rusmin Nuryadin, S.E., M.Si, as Manager of the ULM Shorinji Kempo Team, Friday (5/23/2025).
This Kempo Team is a collaboration between campuses in South Kalimantan, but ULM is the largest contributor of athletes. The kenshi are members of ULM, Banjarmasin State Polytechnic (Poliban), and Tanah Laut Polytechnic (Politala). They have competitive backgrounds, ranging from POPNAS, POMNAS, to Pra-PON and PON levels.
Dr. Rusmin explained that the team’s strength cannot be separated from the quality of coaches such as Thoyyibah, the winner of the Aceh PON gold medal, who was accompanied by other senior coaches, namely Sp. Nurhadi and Sp. M. Khafidz Arifin.
Even though they faced obstacles, such as clashing lecture schedules with training, injuries, and limited equipment, the team still showed maximum performance. This was conveyed directly by Thoyyibah, S.Pd., as the main coach of the contingent.
“We are grateful that the results exceeded expectations. All of this cannot be separated from the support of various parties, including ULM, South Kalimantan Youth and Sports Agency, BAPOMI South Kalimantan, PERKEMI Pengprov and Pengkab throughout South Kalimantan, as well as all coaches and athletes,” he said.
This success received appreciation from the Chairperson of PERKEMI South Kalimantan, Akhmad Fydayeen, S.H., M.Si., who hopes that this achievement will be the beginning of the revival of Banua kempo.
“We hope that support from the government, especially the South Kalimantan Youth and Sports Agency, will continue to flow so that the development of kempo athletes can be on par with other regions,” he said optimistically.
Separately, a representative of the South Kalimantan Youth and Sports Agency expressed that this achievement is expected to be a motivation for athletes to face the next event, namely the 2025 Self-Defense PON in Central Java.
Here is a list of medals won by South Kalimantan Kempo athletes:
Gold Medal
- Rizky Kurnia Nugraha (JPOK ULM) – Randori 65–70 Kg Men
- Berfex Ramadhani (JPOK ULM) – Randori 60–65 Kg Men
Silver Medal
- Zahra Perluhutan Ritonga (Poliban) – Randori 70–75 Kg Men
Bronze Medal
- Alifah Nabila (Politala) – Randori 55–60 Kg Women
- Muhammad Naafi’ Fadillah (JPOK ULM) – Randori 55–60 Kg Men
Top 5 Ranking
- Aldi Rangga Saputra (JPOK ULM) – Tandoku Putra Kyukenshi
With this achievement, ULM has not only strengthened its position as a center for academic achievement, but also as a campus that encourages excellence in the field of national-level martial arts.
