Kathmandu, Sept. 25: Arika Gurung, who made history by winning a medal for Nepal in the Asian Senior Karate Championship, stated that her chances of securing a gold medal in Hangzhou, China were hampered by injuries. Upon returning home on Tuesday, she revealed that a knee injury had affected her performance in the final on September 22.

Arika won the silver medal in the women’s Kumite 68 kg weight category at the 20th Senior Asian Karate Championship. No player from Nepal had won a medal in the Asian Senior Karate Championship before.

“Although I aimed for the gold, my final opponent was too good. The defeat in the final has encouraged me to train more. I will try to bring better results in the future,” Arika said. She also thanked everyone who helped her on her journey.

The medal winner Arika, her coach Kushal Shrestha, and the Nepali team received a hero’s welcome at Tribhuvan International Airport. Member Secretary of National Sports Council Tankalal Ghising welcomed the Nepali team. Nepal Karate Federation, Nepal Police Club, and players of various sports were present at the reception of the Nepali team.

Kushal, the coach of the Nepali team, dedicated the maiden medal won in the Senior Asian Championship to all Nepalis. Kushal said that due to injury, Arika could not perform as expected in the finals. “Besides, the opponent in the final was a very experienced player from Vietnam.

“Since the win and defeat are common in a player’s life, we should move forward taking a lesson from it,” Coach Kushal added.

On that occasion, NSC Member Secretary Ghising mentioned that Arika proved herself once again and expressed his belief that she could bring more success in the future. 

He also praised the training of coach Kushal Shrestha and the management of the Nepal Karate Federation for this success. In the 20th Asian Games to be held in 2026, Ghishing expressed his commitment to invest more for the exposure of the athletes, saying that karate is the backbone of Nepal.