Asian Games 2026: Adeola wins Malaysia’s first gold, sepak takraw reaches semis, badminton teams bow out

NAGOYA, September 23 — Malaysia's tally of medals at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games swelled with the addition of Adeola Fay Robert's first gold medal of the Games. The karate champion claimed victory over Iran's Fatemehzahra Saeidabadi in the women's under-55 kg kumite final, ending a prolonged wait for a gold since Syakilla Salni's triumph in 2014.

Wushu athlete Tan Cheong Min secured Malaysia's third bronze through the combined women's nanquan and nandao event, collecting 19.389 points despite a minor error in her nandao routine. Malaysia's men's badminton squad suffered a quarterfinal loss to Indonesia, while their women's squad also exited the tournament in the same stage.

Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah's team staged a brief resurgence by defeating South Korea, but Cheng Su Yin-Low Zi Yu's duo fell short against the same opponents. In sepak takraw, Malaysia secured the semifinals' berth as Group B champions, advancing after outperforming India. The team will face South Korea or Indonesia in the next round. Overall, Adeola's triumph boosted Malaysia's medal count to one gold and three bronze.