MALACCA: National exponent Zakiah Adnan has received the green light to compete in the 2023 Asian Games (postponed from 2022) in Hangzhou, China from Sept 23-Aug 8.
Zakiah, 20, was picked for the Asiad based on her bronze medal achievement in the women’s below 61-kilogramme (kg) kumite event at the 19th edition of the Asian Karate Championships at the Malacca International Trade Centre (MITC) on Friday (July 21).
“For now, Zakiah will compete in the 61kg category,” Malaysian Karate Federation (MAKAF) president Datuk Nur Azmi Ahmad told reporters at the Asian Karate Championships here today.
He said MAKAF also agreed to send a women’s kata team to the Asiad.
Yesterday, Nur Azmi announced the names of six kumite exponents who had confirmed their places in the Asiad, namely Mohammad Arif Afifuddin, H. Sankar Sureeya, S. Prem Kumar and R. Shamendran (men); and C. Shahmalarani and P. Madhuri (women).
He also announced that all the chosen exponents would compete in three tournaments in Tunisia, Morocco and Europe.
Hosts Malaysia ended the Asian Karate Championships with three bronze medals, with the other two delivered by Kumar (men’s 55kg kumite) and the women’s kata team (Lovely Anne Robberth, Naccy Nelly Evvaferra Rojin and Niathalia Sherawinnie Yampil).
Meanwhile, Malaysia ended the championships in the 13th spot, with Kazakhstan emerging as overall champions with three golds, four silvers and four bronzes.
Defending champions Japan finished second while Iran came in third.
Earlier, the Yang Dipertua Negeri of Malacca Tun Mohd Ali Rustam, who is also the patron of MAKAF, closed the three-day championships.
Nur Azmi also thanked Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, who gave a matching grant of RM1 million to MAKAF for organising a successful meet. - Bernama