Nepal has opened its medal account at the 20th Asian Games in Japan, with karateka Tenzing Sherpa winning a bronze medal in the men’s kumite +84kg category. Sherpa defeated Laos’ Xayasan Vatthana 9–1 at the Toyohashi Gymnasium to secure Nepal’s first medal of the Games.
The victory came in the bronze-medal repechage after Sherpa was defeated 5–0 by Iran’s Mahmud Nemati in the semifinal. Despite missing out on a place in the final, Sherpa responded strongly in the medal bout and produced a convincing performance against his Laotian opponent.
Sherpa built his winning score through one high-value Ippon worth three points and six Yuko strikes, giving him a nine-point total. His performance made him Nepal’s only karate medalist at the Games so far and ended the country’s early wait for a medal in Nagoya.
The 23-year-old athlete’s achievement is particularly significant after most of Nepal’s karate contingent had already been eliminated from their events. Sherpa entered the competition as the country’s remaining hope for a medal in karate and delivered when it mattered most.
Sherpa has built an impressive record in national and regional competitions. He won gold at the BP Memorial National Karate Championship in 2025, followed by another national gold in 2026. He also won gold at the South Asian Karate Championship in Dhaka earlier this year.
The bronze medal adds to Nepal’s Asian Games medal tally and gives the country a boost as competition continues across multiple sports. Nepal entered the 2026 Games with 135 athletes competing in 21 sports, hoping to improve its previous performances at the continental event.
For Sherpa, the medal marks an important milestone in his young career. His victory also provides Nepal with fresh momentum as its athletes continue competing for more medals in the remaining events of the Asian Games.