Asiad bronze just the start for young kata trio, says coach

NAGOYA: National karate coach Emmanuel Leong is confident in the potential of Malaysia's newly formed men's kata team, following their bronze medal win at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. The young trio of Aiqal Asmadie (22), Haznil Henry (21), and Mukhriz Mazlan (18) achieved their first men's kata medal for Malaysia in 12 years. This victory came after Malaysia lost 5-0 to Kuwait in the semi-finals, but rebounded to narrowly edge Vietnam 3-2 in the bronze medal playoff.

Coach Leong expressed pride in the team's achievement, stating that the goal was to finish on the podium, which they successfully did. The semi-final match against Kuwait, who had previously won medals in Hangzhou, was described as a challenging encounter, with the team initially viewed as underdogs. However, the boys demonstrated determination and executed their training well under pressure.

Looking ahead, Leong remains optimistic about the team's future, noting that Mukhriz, the youngest member at 18, still has time to grow. He believes the trio has significant potential. Additionally, the team's victory over Vietnam is seen as a positive sign, as Vietnam is expected to be a rival in the upcoming Malaysia SEA Games. Aiqal and Haznil, along with teammates Luqman Syah and Arif Hafizi, had previously won the men's team silver at the Thailand SEA Games last year.