Asian Games 2023: Hong Kong men’s kata team miss out on podium, and disappointment for Tsang in women’s -50kg kumite
- With only six teams competing in men’s team kata, Hong Kong were guaranteed to battle for bronze, but left without a medal after losing to Iraq
- Hong Kong’s world No 3 and reigning Asian champion Tsang Yee-ting struggles in women’s -50kg kumite, losing in round of 16
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Hong Kong’s karate team narrowly missed the chance to add another medal to the city’s tally at the Asian Games on Sunday, as the men’s kata team sank to a fifth-place tie out of six competing teams.
After a fifth-place finish in the men’s individual kata on Thursday, Chris Cheng Tsz-man led a Hong Kong team also including Howard Hung Ho-wai and Tang Yu-hin.
With only six teams taking part in the event, all were guaranteed a place in the bronze medal match, at least, regardless of their performance in the pool stage.
The Hong Kong trio advanced to the bronze medal match with their “Papuren” routine, which got them 40.7 points to rank second in Pool 1 behind Macau, who scored 42.2 points, but ahead of Vietnam with 40.2 points.
The team were awarded a similar score – 40.6 points – with their performance of “Anan” only to be outscored by the Iraqis by 1.2 points, forcing them to settle for a tied-fifth place finish with Vietnam.
Japan took gold in the competition, while Macau added a silver to their tally, with Iraq and Kuwait each pocketing bronze.
In the women’s -50kg kumite, Hong Kong’s world No 3 and reigning Asian champion Tsang Yee-ting faced Moldir Zhangbyrbay of Kazakhstan, who ranked only one spot below in the World Karate Federation table.
The 31-year-old Tsang edged out Zhangbyrbay in an intense final at the regional championships in Melaka, Malaysia in July.
But it was not to be her day, despite the Hongkonger netting the “Senshu” point to take the lead.
Kazakh Zhangbyrbay responded with three straight points to take the lead before eventually sealing passage to the next round with a 3-2 win.
Tsang concluded her journey in Hangzhou after losing 12-6 in the repechage against Miho Miyahara of Japan.
