AICHI, Sept 20 — Karate exponent Thevendran Kaliana Sundram delivered Malaysia’s first medal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after clinching bronze in the men’s below 55-kilogramme (kg) kumite event today.
In the bronze-medal bout at the Toyohashi Gymnasium, Thevendran secured a dominant 9-1 victory over Nepal’s Rakesh Manandhar.
Thevendran scored six Yuko and one Ippon to secure the victory, while Rakesh managed only one Yuko.
Yuko is a scoring term for a one-point award for a successful, controlled punch or strike, while Ippon is awarded for a technically flawless and powerful execution of a strike or kick and is worth three points. — Bernama
