Iranian Karatekas Grab Several Medals in Asian Championships

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian karatekas on Saturday bagged two gold, one silver and two bronze medals in the Asian Karate Championships in China.
The Iranian karate fighters finished the kumite competition with two gold, one silver, and two bronze medals at the Qiaoxiang Gymnasium in Guangzhou.

Saeed Farrokhi overpowered opponents from India, Sri Lanka, Kuwait, and Japan to meet a Chinese rival in the final. He downed the Chinese karateka for the -75-kilogram category gold medal.

Zabihollah Poursheib defeated karatekas from Nepal, Japan, and Uzbekistan to take home the gold medal of the +84-kilogram category.

Amir Mehdizadeh and Mehdi Soltani also won bronze medals for the Iranian outfit in the -60-kilogram and -84-kilogram categories.

Iranian female karateka Hamideh Abbasali bagged a silver for the Iranian team in the +68-kilogram class.

The karate competitions are held in two disciplines, namely sparring (kumite) and forms (kata), and karatekas may enter either as individuals or as part of a team.

The Iranian kata team will compete with their rivals on Sunday.

The 10th Asian Karatedo Federation Senior Championships opened on July 23 and will run until July 25, with 33 countries participating in the event.