KUALA LUMPUR — National kumite head coach R Sharmendran hailed Malaysia’s karate campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games as “incredible” after the squad exceeded expectations with two gold and three bronze medals.
The karate competition concluded at Toyohashi Gymnasium yesterday, with Shahmalarani Chandran and Adeola Fay Robert striking gold in the women’s under-50kg and under-55kg categories respectively.
K Thevendran (men’s under-55kg), H Sureeya Sankar (women’s under-60kg) and the men’s team kata trio of Aiqal Asmadie, Haznil Henry and Mukhriz Mazlan added three bronze medals to complete a highly successful campaign for Malaysia.
Speaking to Scoop, Sharmendran said the medal haul had gone beyond what he initially expected from his athletes.
“I am extremely happy because they have achieved more than what I expected from them. The athletes showed tremendous commitment throughout the competition and delivered when it mattered most.
“For Shahmalarani, beating the Uzbek athlete, Gulshan Alimardanova, was something we really wanted because we had lost to her twice in recent competitions. We knew it would be a difficult fight, but Shahmalarani stayed focused and executed our plan,” he said.
Shahmalarani, 27, produced one of Malaysia’s standout performances when she defeated Alimardanova 3-2 in the semi-finals.
The victory was particularly significant as Alimardanova was the reigning world champion and had beaten Shahmalarani twice previously.
In the final, Shahmalarani faced Hong Kong’s Tsang Yee Ting, with neither fighter able to break the deadlock as the bout ended 0-0.
Shahmalarani was subsequently awarded the victory through hantei, the judges’ decision.
Sharmendran said the final was always expected to be a tactical battle, given the pair’s previous meetings.
“Shahmalarani lost to the Hong Kong athlete in the Premier League a few months ago, but she had beaten her at the Series A competition in Malaysia last year. So, we knew it was going to be a very tight and tactical fight.
“We had to be very careful and avoid taking unnecessary risks. The final may have looked a little boring to those watching, but I did not care because the most important thing was getting the victory and the gold medal,” he said.
Sharmendran also singled out 20-year-old Adeola for special praise after she secured her maiden Asian Games gold medal.
“She is the future of Malaysian karate. She is very talented, hardworking and humble, and I am very happy that I discovered her when I went to the 2024 Sarawak Malaysia Games as a junior coach.
“At that time, she was not yet part of the national squad. She was in Form Six, but when I asked her to join the national team, she stopped her studies halfway, came to Bukit Jalil and trained like a machine,” he said.
Adeola’s rapid rise has established her as one of Malaysia’s promising young karate exponents, with Sharmendran believing she has the potential to reach the highest level.
“If she continues working hard, stays disciplined and gives her best every day, I believe she can become a world champion one day. She has the ability, but she has to maintain that hunger and continue improving,” he said.
Adeola has since resumed her studies and is currently pursuing a teaching qualification at the Ilmu Khas Teacher Education Institute in Cheras.
Sharmendran stressed that Malaysia’s success in Aichi-Nagoya was the product of a collective effort involving the athletes, coaching staff and Malaysian Karate Federation (Makaf).
“It is not just about me or the work that I do. It requires a team effort, and I am grateful that we have a good president in Datuk Nur Azmi Ahmad who supports the athletes and the coaching team.
“The athletes would have given everything regardless, but an incentive such as this certainly provides additional motivation. It is a good thing for them, and you can see the result now because we have won two gold medals,” he said.
Makaf had attracted attention by offering a Proton e.MAS as an incentive to every Malaysian karate athlete who won a gold medal at the Asian Games.
With Shahmalarani and Adeola both finishing on top of the podium, Sharmendran jokingly hoped the coaching staff would also receive a reward for their contribution.
“Hopefully the coaches will get one too,” he said with a laugh.
With the Asian Games campaign now concluded, Sharmendran said the national squad would shift its focus to next year’s SEA Games, which will become its primary target as the athletes seek to build on their Aichi-Nagoya success. — September 24, 2026