NAGOYA, Japan — Labuan-born karateka Muhammad Aiqal Asmadie helped Malaysia secure a bronze medal in the Men’s Team Kata event at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games here yesterday.
Aiqal, together with teammates Mohamad Haznil Henry and Mukhriz Mazlan, defeated Vietnam 3-2 in the bronze medal playoff at Toyohashi Gymnasium to finish third in the event.
The achievement came after a challenging period for Aiqal, who lost his father shortly before the Games.
Despite the personal loss, the Labuan athlete remained focused on his preparations and committed himself to representing Malaysia at the continental sporting event.
Malaysia had earlier faced Kuwait in the semi-finals, with the latter having also won bronze in the same event at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games. The Malaysian trio, however, went down 0-5 to Kuwait.
The defeat did not deter Aiqal, Haznil and Mukhriz, who bounced back strongly in the bronze medal playoff against Vietnam.
They produced a composed and energetic performance to secure a 3-2 victory and bring home the bronze medal for Malaysia.
The trio’s achievement is particularly notable as the team was formed only about two months before the Asian Games.
Despite the short preparation period, the three athletes managed to develop their coordination, sharpen their routines and deliver a podium finish at one of Asia’s biggest sporting events.
The bronze also contributed to Malaysia’s medal haul in karate at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.
As of Sept 23, the national karate squad had contributed two gold and three bronze medals to Malaysia’s overall medal tally, with gold medals won by Adeola Fay Robert and C. Shahmalarani, while the three bronze medals came from kumite and men’s team kata events.
For Labuan, Aiqal’s achievement marks another milestone for an athlete from the island on the Asian Games stage.
His bronze medal came after a difficult personal period, highlighting his determination to remain focused and compete for Malaysia alongside his teammates.
