20th Asian Games in Japan Conclude Today with Kuwait Winning 9 Medals

Kuwait City, 4 Oct (KUNA) – The 20th Asian Games (Aichi-Nagoya 2026) in Japan concluded today, Sunday, bringing the curtain down on the continent’s premier sporting event, in which Kuwait secured nine medals. The closing ceremony featured the handover of the Olympic Council of Asia flag to Qatar, marking the start of the countdown to host the next edition (Doha 2030).

Mohammed Al-Khelfan, head of the Kuwaiti delegation and Director General of the Kuwait Olympic Committee, expressed his deep pride and honor in the distinguished results achieved by the Kuwaiti team at the 20th Asian Games. He praised the high spirit and strong commitment displayed by all Kuwaiti athletes, who served as excellent ambassadors for Kuwaiti sport and successfully raised the Kuwaiti flag high on the Asian podiums.

Al-Khelfan reaffirmed the Kuwait Olympic Committee’s commitment to providing all necessary support and assistance to national sports cadres, standing by them to achieve further accomplishments and elevate Kuwait’s name on the international stage.

Kuwaiti athletes concluded their participation in the Games with a total of nine medals: four gold, one silver, and four bronze, an achievement that demonstrated the competitiveness and capability of Kuwaiti sport at the continental level. Shooting and karate accounted for the largest share of these achievements. The four gold medals were won by Abdullah Shaaban in karate (under 60 kg) and the men’s kata team comprising Mohammed Hussein, Mohammed Al-Mousawi, and Salman Al-Mousawi. In shooting, the men’s trap team of Talal Al-Rashidi, Khaled Al-Midfah, and Abdulrahman Al-Fayhan claimed gold, while Al-Midfah also won the individual trap gold. The men’s skeet team, consisting of Abdullah Al-Rashidi, Mohammed Al-Daihani, and Mohammed Al-Awad, secured the silver medal.

The four bronze medals were won by Mohammed Al-Mousawi in men’s individual karate kata, the men’s doubles teqball pair of Bassel Ahmed and Abdulwahab Al-Qattan, the women’s trap team of Hajar Abdulmalik, Sara Al-Hawal, and Shahnoud Al-Hawal, and Hajar Abdulmalik in women’s individual trap.

Kuwait participated in the tournament, which launched on September 19, with 45 countries and more than 11,000 athletes. Kuwait’s delegation of 120 athletes competed in 16 sports, including shooting, athletics, football, golf, modern pentathlon, fencing, teqball, sport climbing, karate, equestrian (show jumping), squash, judo, swimming, handball, table tennis, and sailing. (End) H.M.Sh / K.A.H