Iranian karate fighter Ganjzadeh awarded gold medal at Asian Games

Karate practitioner Sajad Ganjzadeh added another gold to Iran's tally in the 19th edition of the Asian Games in China.

In the final of the men's Kumite +84Kg category, which was held at Linping Sports Center Gymnasium in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou on Friday, Ganjzadeh defeated Kyrgyzstan's Adilet Shadykanov 4-2 to collect the gold medal. 

The Iranian sportsman had earlier overwhelmed Laotian opponent Xayasan Vatthana (8-3) and Pakistani contestant Muhammad Awais (9-1) respectively, before beating Thai rival Teerawat Kangtong (3-2) in the semi-final round and booking a place in the final showdown.

Ganjzadeh had also won a gold medal in the previous edition of the Asian Games in Jakarta. He is a four-time world champion and an Olympic gold medalist in Tokyo.

Earlier in the day, Iran women’s national kabaddi team claimed the bronze medal.

The Iranian sportswomen did their utmost for much of the semifinal match against Chinese Taipei at the Xiaoshan Guali Sports Center.

SS