Nepal’s karate gold tally reaches 10 on final day

Anupama Magar added a gold medal on the last day as Nepali karatekas bagged the record highest number of gold medals on Wednesday since the eighth South Asian Games (SAG) twenty years ago.

KATHMANDU, Dec 5: Anupama Magar added a gold medal on the last day as Nepali karatekas bagged the record highest number of gold medals on Wednesday since the eighth South Asian Games (SAG) twenty years ago.

Magar defeated Pakistan’s Nargis in the women’s individual over 68 weight category kumite with a score of 6-3 in the final bout to clinch the final gold for Nepal. 

On the conclusion day, Nepal’s gold tally reached 10, which is four less than the previous record medal count during the 1999 SAG--also held in Kathmandu. 

Since then, Nepal had only managed a total of six gold medals in Karate. Nepal clinched one gold medal in the ninth SAG (Pakistan), two in the 10th SAG (Sri Lanka) and three in the 11th SAG (Bangladesh). India did not include karate discipline in the 12th SAG.
Nepal has six silvers and five bronzes.

Abida Sultana of Bangladesh who lost the over 68 kg bout in technical knockout of 10-2 against Nargis, and Kulathunga Wijeykoon of Sri Lanka who was defeated by Magar 7-4, got bronze medals.

Nepal could have equaled the gold tally to previous record of 14 of two decades ago, but their performance was dismal in the remaining three events.

Sonam Lama lost to Pakistan’s Ahmed Noman 3-4 in men’s under 50 kg bout in the first round, who eventually won the gold after beating Sri Lanka’s Thalpawila Kankanamge 6-5 in the final bout. Bangladesh’s Md S Oboj Miah also won bronze after losing to Kankanamge 4-5 earlier. 

Pakistan has six gold, nine silver and four bronze medals.

Nepal’s Sani Tamang, Aster Rai, Rita Karki and Susmita Tamang also consoled for bronze along with Sri Lanka’s Samanmali, Bandara, Aruni and Anjanli in women’s team kumite. Pakistan’s Kulsoom, Kousar Sana, Nargis and Sabra won gold while Bangladesh’s Sifa, Priya, Boerna and Nouma won silver.

In men’s team kumite, Pakistan’s Saadi Abbas, Naseer Ahmed, Rehmatullah, Shahbaz Khan, Baz Md and Awais Md won gold whereas Sri Lanka’s Jayakoshi, Dhanuska Mendia, Sanberowan, Priya Bershana, Bandara and Thureshinghe won silver. 

Nepal’s Mukundra Maharjan, Rajkumar Rasaili, Sushil Paudel, Arjun Bagchan, Lekhnath Mainali, Binod Shakya and Digamber Pant and Bangladesh’s Md Allamin, Md Ramzan, Md Afiurreham, Md Hafizur Rehaman, Lokman Hossain, Hassan Khan and Md Federos won bronze medals. 

Bangladesh is third in the karate chart with three gold, three silver, and 13 bronze medals. Sri Lanka is fourth, wining two silver and 15 bronze medals while Bhutan has only one bronze medal.