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Asian Under-21 champion Ooi San Hong clinched the bronze medal in the kata event at the ongoing World Karate Championships (Junior, Cadet and U-21) in Santiago de Chile.
San Hong, who was in his elements in the first two rounds, was let down by his execution in round three and had to settle for the bronze medal playoff instead of making the finals..
He topped his group in the first round with a with a 24.8 total (17.36 Tech + 7.44 Ath). In the second round, he again came out tops in his pool with 25.8 points (18.06+7.74).
However, the exponent, who hails from Penang, managed only a 23.2 (16.24 + 9.96) total in the next round and missed out on the chance to enter the gold medal playoff.
In the playoff for bronze medal he was up against Franck Ngoan of France. San Hong’s 24.66 points (17.22+7.44) was enough to clinch him the bronze with his opponent managing a 24.4 total.
It was the first medal at the world stage for San Hong, who had defeated Japan’s Kikuchi Ryonosuke for the Asian Under-21 kata title earlier this year.
In his debut at the world championships in Indonesia in 2015, he had finished ninth and two years ago in Spain he was fifth.
All the other Malaysians failed to make the grade in the kata events.
Ariana Lim Junyi advanced to the second stage in the U-21 Kata Female event with 23.94 points. In the second round she picked 23.06 points and just missed out on the chance of advancing further. She finished 9th overall.
In the Cadet Kata Male event, Yee Ming Qi failed to advance from the group stages.He collected 15.54 (Tech) and 6.66 (Ath) for a score of 22.2 points in his routine. He finished 21st overall.
Earlier, there were doubts as to whether the championships would take place due to the current unrest in Chile.
It was only allowed to go on after the Chilean authorities provided assurances regarding conditions for the normal progress of the event.
The Chilean Government declared a state of emergency in parts of Santiago on Saturday (October 19) after riots broke out around the city.
Protests began last week over a now-suspended metro fare hike. At least seven deaths are confirmed with five people having died after looters torched a garment factory near Santiago.
The state of emergency was also extended to cities in Chile’s north and south.
RESULTS:
CADET KATA MALE: 1.Kaynar Furkan (Tur), Hussein Mohamed (Egy) 24.86, 3. Rauan Amantaiuly (Kaz), Fernando Zambrano (Ven)
JUNIOR KATA MALE: 1. Alessio Ghinami (Ita), 2. Enes Ozdemir (Tur), 3. Oscar Garcia Cuadrado (Esp), Waleed Ghaly Karim (Egy)
U-21 KATA MALE: 1. Rey Chinen (USA), 2. Duran Kutluhan (Tur), 3, Sutiagin Konstantin (Rus), Ooi San Hong (Mas)
CADET KATA FEMALE: 1. Sonia Inzoli (Ita), 2. Turemen Damla Su (Tur), 3. Celo Isra (Aut), Alvez Azahara Perez (Esp)
JUNIOR KATA FEMALE: 1. Yilmaz Ayse (Tur), 2. Damayanti Marzella Sekar (Ina), 3. Funda Celo (Aut), Sakura Alforte (Phi)
U-21 KATA FEMALE: 1. Marta Garcia Lozano (Esp), 2. Carola Casale (Ita), 3. Helvetia Taily (Fra), Aya En-Nesyry (Mor)
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