Abdullah Shaban, a "Golden" Champion

Nagoya – The Olympic Committee: The Kuwaiti delegation participating in the 20th Asian Games (Aichi-Nagoya 2026) opened its record of achievements with a gold and a bronze medal, marking a promising start for Kuwait’s participation in the continental event. Champion Abdullah Shaban, a member of the national karate team, won Kuwait’s first gold medal of the Asian Games by defeating his opponent from the Qatari national team in the final of the -60 kg kumite category, raising his country’s flag high on the podium in Japan.

Following his gold medal victory, champion Abdullah Shaban said he dedicates this historic achievement and the Asian gold medal to the leadership of Kuwait, the loyal Kuwaiti people, and everyone who supported and encouraged his sporting journey, as well as to his family and the technical and administrative staff who stood by him throughout the preparation period.

He noted that he had been striving hard to conclude his karate career with an Asian gold medal worthy of the esteemed reputation of Kuwait and his long-standing career in the sport, adding that this was achieved through the determination and perseverance of men.

Shaban emphasized that the competition was intense, featuring a select group of champions from the Asian continent, but the strong desire to raise the name of Kuwait high was the greatest motivation to overcome all difficulties and reach the podium.

Bronze in Teqball

The national Teqball team also secured third place and a bronze medal in the doubles event through players Basel Ahmed and Abdulwahab Al-Qattan, who defeated the Indonesian team 2-1 in a notable performance that confirmed the development of the sport and the ability of our athletes to compete with the elite of the Asian continent.

This achievement is the result of the efforts made in preparing for the Games, amid hopes that the other participating teams will continue to achieve honorable results that strengthen Kuwait’s sporting presence on the Asian stage.

Kuwait’s national teams are entering decisive competitions today, Monday, in several sports within the Games, with high expectations of achieving honorable results befitting Kuwaiti sports. Player Sayed Mohammad Al-Mousawi begins his journey in the karate (Men’s Individual Kata) competition in the quarterfinals.

The Tokyo Swimming Complex is witnessing a strong presence from Kuwaiti male and female swimmers in the preliminaries. Mohammad Al-Zubaidi competes in the Men’s 50-meter backstroke, while Farah Al-Sabih and Jana Hussein compete in the Women’s 50-meter backstroke preliminaries. Abdulrazzaq Al-Duwayhi competes in the Men’s 50-meter freestyle preliminaries, and Yasmin Al-Sabih competes in the Women’s 200-meter freestyle preliminaries. Rashed Al-Tarmoom competes in the Men’s 100-meter breaststroke preliminaries. The relay team consisting of Khalid Al-Otaibi, Saud Al-Anizi, Mohammad Al-Otaibi, and Saud Al-Shamroukh competes in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay preliminaries.

This morning, the preliminaries for the Skeet shooting competition (Men’s Individual and Team) begin with the participation of shooters Mohammad Al-Dihani, Mohammad Al-Owaid, and Abdullah Al-Tarqi, as well as Iman Al-Shammal, Fatima Al-Zaabi, and Afrah Al-Mohammed in the Skeet shooting competition (Women’s Individual and Team) preliminaries.