Kuala lumpur: Karate exponent Thevendran Kaliana Sundram delivered Malaysia's first medal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after clinching bronze in the men's below 55-kilogramme (kg) kumite event today. In the bronze-medal bout at the Toyohashi Gymnasium, Thevendran secured a dominant 9-1 victory over Nepal's Rakesh Manandhar. Thevendran scored six Yuko and one Ippon to secure the victory, while Rakesh managed only one Yuko. Yuko is a scoring term for a one-point award for a successful, controlled punch or strike, while Ippon is awarded for a technically flawless and powerful execution of a strike or kick and is worth three points.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Thevendran expressed his joy in winning his first medal for Malaysia and noted the added satisfaction of seeing his teammate, H. Sureeya Sankar, also succeed. "I am very happy to win my first medal for Malaysia, especially since Sureeya won as well. After I won, I wanted to pass on positive energy to him, and seeing his success makes me even happier," Thevendran said. He also reflected on his initial aim for gold, acknowledging the setback against an Uzbek athlete before he managed to secure the bronze in the playoff.

Thevendran's victory inspired the national karate camp, leading to Malaysia's second medal at the Games. H. Sureeya Sankar secured another bronze for the nation in the under-60kg kumite event. In his bronze medal bout, Sureeya defeated Chu Van Duc of Vietnam with a score of 10-2. Sureeya shared his mixed emotions about the achievement, stating, "I am happy, though still disappointed at missing out on the final. I hope this achievement brings something meaningful for Malaysia."