Saudi Olympic hero Tarek Hamdi takes gold at 2021 Asian Karate Championship

Tarek Hamdi on his way to winning gold at the 2021 Asian Karate Championship in Kazakhstan. (Saudi Karate Federation)
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  • The 23-year-old won the Men’s Kumite +84kg category on a day that saw ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ claim three silvers
  • The three silver medals were claimed by Yasser Al-Bargi in the -55kg, Fahad Al-Khathami in the -67kg and Sultan Al-Zahrani in the -75kg

¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ’s Olympic silver medalist Tarek Hamdi revived memories of his Tokyo 2020 heroics by winning a gold medal at the Asian Karate Championship in Kazakhstan on Wednesday.

The 23-year-old won his medal in the Men’s Kumite +84kg category. Saudi athletes also claimed three silver medals on the last day of the 17th edition of the championship for under-21s and adults — and 19th edition for juniors —  which took place in Almaty.

Hamdi, who came agonizingly close to winning gold in the +74kg category against Sajag Ganzjadeh of Iran at the Tokyo Olympics in the summer, this time completed the job by defeating another Iranian opponent — Saleh Abazari — 4-0 in the final. 

The three silver medals were claimed by Yasser Al-Bargi in the -55kg, Fahad Al-Khathami in the -67kg and Sultan Al-Zahrani in the -75kg.

Earlier in the week at the in the junior categories, Sultan Al-Qahtani led the way for Saudi with gold in the Kumite +55kg competition.

The other triumphant young Saudis were Abdul Rahman Hajjrassi, who won a bronze in the Kumite -76kg; Omar Al-Bakhit, who won bronze in the Kumite +76kg; and Ali Makri, who completed the team’s trio of bronze medals in the Kumite competitions in the -61kg category.