Drive, dedication sees Adeola deliver Malaysia's first gold in Nagoya [WATCH]

NAGYOA: Karate star Adeola Fay Robert clinched Malaysia's maiden gold at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, demonstrating unwavering determination throughout the competition. The 20-year-old Sabahan, who made her Asian Games debut, claimed victory in the women's kumite under-55kg category. Adeola started her tournament with a dominant 9-1 win over Kuwait's Asrar Jasem in the round of 16.

She then edged Uzbekistan's Sevinch Rakhimova 8-7 in the quarter-finals before securing her place in the final with a tight 5-4 win over Kazakhstan's Bella Samasheva in the semi-finals. In the final, Adeola defeated Iran's Fatemehzahra Saeidabadi 6-4, earning Malaysia its first gold medal of the Games. Overwhelmed by emotion, Adeola expressed her gratitude to God, her family, and everyone who supported her.

She revealed that she never anticipated achieving a final spot, only aiming to perform her best. Adeola, renowned for her dedication to training, won a silver medal at the 2024 Sarawak Malaysia Games (Sukma) and was subsequently invited to train under the national team program. Her coach, R. Sharmendran, recognized her potential at an early age and brought her into his training regimen, ultimately leading to her national team selection in December 2024.

The karate squad has now secured three medals at the Games. K. Thevendran (under-55kg) and H. Sureeya Sankar (under-60kg) both won bronze earlier in the competition. C. Shahmalarani is set to compete in the women's under-50kg event on Wednesday, potentially adding to the karate squad's tally.