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NAGOYA, Japan – National karate exponent C. Shahmalarani delivered Malaysia’s third gold medal when she won the women’s below-50-kilogramme (kg) kumite event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games today.
Competing at her second Asiad, Shahmalarani defeated Hong Kong’s Tsang Yee Ting via a judges’ decision after their three-minute final ended 0-0 at the Toyohashi Gymnasium.
The national exponent had earlier defeated Uzbekistan’s Gulshan Alimardanova 3-2 in the semi-finals. It was sweet revenge for Shahmalarani, who lost to Alimardanova in the final of the World Karate Championships in Cairo, Egypt, last year.
“It was a roller-coaster ride in today’s final but I’m so happy right now. I just want to enjoy the moment because the journey to gold has been very, very tough.
“But being drawn with the world champion and the world number five, whom I have met so many times that we know each other well... this is the way to win a medal,” she said when met after the final.
Shahmalarani said her road to the Asiad this time had been a rough one, having had to deal with injuries and several disappointing results in previous competitions.
“And you tend to have a lot of self-doubt, like whether I’m on the right path for the Asian Games. It’s the Asiad and the responsibility to deliver the goods for the country is on my shoulders,” she said.
Shahmalarani began her Asiad campaign with an 8-0 win over Macau’s Fong Man Wai in the first round before edging Bangladesh’s Saiama Jaman 5-4 in the quarter-finals. –BERNAMA
