Adeola wins Malaysia’s first Asian Games gold in karate debut
Adeola Fay Robert secured Malaysia’s first gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, defeating Iran’s Fatemehzahra Saeidabadi 6-4 in the women’s under-55kg kumite final at Toyohashi Gymnasium on September 22,…
Source: Bernama · September 22, 2026 at 12:22 PM · AI-assisted report
Single-sourceNAGOYA, 22 SEPTEMBER 2026 —
Adeola Fay Robert secured Malaysia’s first gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, defeating Iran’s Fatemehzahra Saeidabadi 6-4 in the women’s under-55kg kumite final at Toyohashi Gymnasium on September 22, according to Bernama.
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The 20-year-old Sabah-born athlete reached the final after defeating Kuwait’s Asrar Jasem 9-1, Uzbekistan’s Sevinch Rakhimova 8-7, and Kazakhstan’s Bella Samasheva 5-4 in the semi-finals. Her victory continued Malaysia’s positive momentum following her bronze medal at the 2025 Bangkok SEA Games.
The win marks the first women’s karate gold for Malaysia since Syakilla Salni’s triumph at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. Adeola admitted she had not expected to advance this far in her debut, telling reporters, “Honestly, I did not expect to reach the final. I just wanted to do my best and see what the outcome would be.”
She began representing Malaysia in 2024 after coach R. Sharmendran identified her potential. “I did not expect 2024 to mark the start of my national squad journey,” she said. “Coach Sharmendran saw that I had the talent and qualities to compete internationally. He brought me in for training first before I went through the selection process, and from that selection, I joined the national squad in December 2024.”
Adeola’s victory underscores the rapid development of Malaysia’s karate program, which has seen rising success in regional competitions. The win also highlights the growing prominence of women’s sports in the country, following recent breakthroughs in other disciplines.
Bernama, Malaysia’s national news agency, distributes its reports through wires, television, and radio channels, including FM93.9 in the Klang Valley and FM107.5 in Johor Bahru. The agency’s coverage of the Asian Games has provided real-time updates on Malaysia’s delegation.
Related: Toyohashi Gymnasium · Adeola Fay Robert · Nagoya