Hong Kong’s karate team clinched bronze in the men’s team kata at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan early Wednesday, a first podium finish for the city in the discipline.
In the bronze-medal playoff, Hong Kong’s Howard Hung Ho-wai, the bronze medalist in this year’s men’s individual kata, joined fellow karatekas Li Chi-kong and Hinx Tang Yu-hin to edge past Chinese Taipei in a 3-2 victory.
The result followed a 0-5 quarter-final loss to Macao on Wednesday morning, but the city earned a reprieve and a bronze-medal shot after Macao beat Chinese Taipei in the semi-finals to reach the final.
Macao will compete with Kuwait for the championship in the event later today.
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The bronze takes Hong Kong’s medal tally at this Asian Games to three golds, five silvers and five bronzes.
And in recognition of their win, the team will receive HK$500,000 ($63,747) under the Jockey Club Athlete Incentive Awards Scheme.
Wednesday marks the fourth day of the Asian Games, with many more Hong Kong athletes set to rake in medals in several events. Hong Kong swimmers Hayden Kwan, Yeung Hoi-ching, Cheung Chi-kit, Gilaine Ma made it to the final in the mixed 4×100-meter medley relay, scheduled to take place at around 6:30 pm local time.
In wushu sanda (Chinese kickboxing), for which no bronze-medal bouts are held, Hong Kong’s Chan Tsz-ching and Leung Yu-hong are already guaranteed a medal by making the semi-finals.
Contact the writer at wanqing@chinadailyhk.com
