Gong Li Defends Asian Games Karate Title with Gold in Aichi-Nagoya

Chinese karateka Gong Li successfully defended her Asian Games title on Monday, defeating Kazakhstan’s Assel Kanay 8-2 in the women’s kumite under-61kg final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

The victory at Toyohashi City General Gymnasium gave China its 20th gold medal of the Games and marked another major achievement in Gong’s career.

Gong controlled the final from the early stages and maintained her advantage against Kanay, a world championship bronze medalist. The Kazakh athlete had reached the final after a series of wins in the knockout rounds, but Gong ultimately secured the gold with an 8-2 victory.

A Successful Title Defense

Gong won the same event at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, making her victory in Aichi-Nagoya a successful title defense.

The 27-year-old also won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics and has previously claimed major international titles, establishing herself as one of China's leading competitors in women's kumite.

Her latest Asian Games triumph also continued a strong period following a difficult spell caused by injury.

According to Chinese media reports, Gong suffered a knee injury during the team competition at the 2024 Asian Karate Championships and subsequently underwent surgery. She returned to top-level competition in August 2025 and later won at the Chengdu World Games and China's National Games.

Strong Road to the Final

Gong also produced a commanding performance in the semifinal, defeating South Korea's An Jeong-eun 8-0.

The semifinal was part of a historic day for Asian Games karate, as An had earlier defeated North Korea's Jong Se-ri in the quarterfinals in the first-ever inter-Korean matchup at the Asian Games.

Gong's progression through the competition demonstrated her ability to maintain control under pressure before producing another decisive performance in the final.

Kanay, who won silver, had also enjoyed an impressive run to the championship bout. She defeated Bangladesh's Humaira Akhter Antara 9-1, Mongolia's Maraljingoo Purevjav 6-0 and Cambodia's Chakriya Vann 3-0 before meeting Gong in the final.

Another Gold for China

Gong's victory was part of a productive day for China's karate team. She and fellow Chinese competitor Li Qiaoqiao both successfully defended their respective Asian Games titles, with Li winning the women's 68kg kumite gold medal later in the competition.

For Gong, however, the gold carried particular significance after her long recovery from injury. Her return to the top of the Asian Games podium confirmed her comeback on one of the biggest stages in Asian sport.

With the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games continuing through October 4, China's athletes will have further opportunities to add to the country's medal tally across a wide range of sports.