PHNOM PENH, May 6 — The karate squad kicked off their 2023 SEA Games campaign in style after winning Malaysia’s first two gold medals on the first day of the Games today.

Defending champion, C. Shahmalarani contributed the nation’s first gold in the women’s kumite below 50 kilogrammes (kg) event after defeating 2022 World Games champion from the Philippines, Junna Tsukii Villanueva in the action at the Chroy Changvar Convention Center, here.

Although Villanueva led 1-0 at the start of the bout, Shahmalarani managed to level the score at 1-1 when Malaysian coach Tamel Abdelraof asked for a video review after his charge was seen doing a yuko (punch) towards the opponent.

However, Shahmalarani was declared the champion by the referee after her moves were more aggressive than her opponent.

Shortly after, it was the turn of the 2019 edition champion, S. Prem Kumar to present the country’s second gold, this time in the men’s kumite below 55kg event.

Prem Kumar who was battling in pain due to an injury to his left wrist got the first point before trailing 3-1 in an intense bout against Chanphet Setthaphong of Thailand.

However, Prem Kumar showed great fighting spirit when he managed to score two points in a row to level the score at 3-3 until the end of the fight and was named the winner after gaining the first point over Setthaphong.

Apart from two gold, the national squad also raked in the silver in the men’s individual kata through Muhammad Aiqal Asmadie as well as the bronze in the women’s team kata by Lovelly Anne Roberth, Naccy Nelly Evvaferra Rojin and Niathalia Sherawinnie Yampil.

Muhammad Aiqal conceded that the 0.2 point difference crushed his dreams of clinching gold after chalking up 38.4 points while Indonesia’s Ahmad Zigi Zaresta Yuda collected 38.6 points to emerge as champion.

The bronze medal was shared between Duc Pham Minh of Vietnam and Filipino, Enrico Logto Vascuez John.

Despite letting the gold slipped away from him, the 19-year-old was satisfied with silver, which was an improvement from the bronze in the 2021 edition in Hanoi, Vietnam.

"It was very close, I could not anticipate how far I could go as all exponents at group stage were equally strong. Thank you to my coach, Malaysia Karate Federation for choosing me to represent the country, not forgetting my family for their support,” he said.

Apart from Malaysia, Cambodia also shared the bronze in women’s kata team event while Vietnam took the gold and Indonesia the silver. — Bernama