Saudi athletes Mustafa, Al-Bashir win bronze in karate at Nagoya Asian Games

RIYADH: Saudi karate athletes Dina Mustafa and Saud Al-Bashir won bronze medals at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya on Sunday, with Mustafa making history as the first Saudi female athlete to win a women's medal for the Kingdom in the history of its participation in the Asian Games, SPA reported. Al-Bashir secured the Kingdom's second bronze in the men's 60-kilogram category after defeating Nepal's Tamang 2-0 in the bronze-medal bout. He advanced to the playoff after beating Thailand's Siwakon Mueakthong on advantage following a 5-5 draw. He then lost 11-8 to Kuwait's Abdullah Shaaban before bouncing back with a 10-2 victory over Kyrgyzstan's Kalykov. Mustafa claimed bronze in the women's 68-kilogram category after a dramatic third-place playoff against Nepal's Arika Gurung. She overcame a 3-0 deficit to secure an 8-7 victory and write her name into the Kingdom's sporting history. The two medals marked a significant achievement for Saudi karate at the Games and added to the Kingdom's medal tally in Nagoya, according to SPA. Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, president of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee and minister of sport, who heads the Kingdom's delegation, attended several competitions involving Saudi teams in Nagoya on Sunday. Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed, vice president of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee and deputy head of the Saudi delegation, attended the Asian Games' triathlon competitions in Gamagori. As president of the Asian Triathlon Confederation, he also crowned the winners of the men's individual event.