Nobody is missing ! All the big names in Asia are registered for the 2018 Asian Games organized in Jakarta (Indonesia) from August 25th to 27th. They will all be in Berlin in September to continue their journey to the Tokyo Olympics. For now, here is a little guide to follow the competition. All you have to know about Karate at the Asian Games. Part 1 : the male categories.

By Ludovic Mauchien (thanks to Gracenote Sports) / Photos : K-Photos

-60 kg

• Japan (1994, 2002) and Iran (2006, 2014) are the only countries to have won two gold medals in the -60 kg division at the Asian Games. Indonesia (1998) and Kazakhstan (2010) are the other countries to have won gold.
• The only athlete to claim multiple medals in this event is Hossein Rouhani (IRI), who claimed silver in 2002 and gold in 2006.
• Amir Mehdizadeh (IRI) is the defending Asian Games champion (2014). He is also the reigning World champion (2016). When he won in 2014, he also was the reigning World champion (2012). He also won the Asian championships in both 2015 and 2017.
• Mehdizadeh defeated Sadriddin Saymatov (UZB) in the final of the 2017 Asian championships. Saymatov also claimed bronze at the 2018 Asian championships.
• In 2017, Saymatov won 3 Premier Leagues (Paris, Rotterdam, Dubai) and he won the overall standings of the Karate 1 Premier League. In 2018, he won the Premier League meeting in Rabat.
• Darkhan Assadilov (KAZ) already won the Asian Games in 2010. This year, in January, he won the Paris Premier League.
• Jordan (2 silver medals) and Vietnam (2 bronze medals) are the only teams to have won a medal in -60 kg at the last two Asian Games.

-67 kg

• The -67 kg division has been held twice at the Asian Games. Rinat Sagandykov (KAZ) won in 2010, and Hiroto Shinohara (JPN) claimed gold in 2014 by defeating Sagandykov in the final.
• Sagandykov is the only athlete to have won multiple medals in -67 kg.
• Shinohara finished in 2^nd place in the Paris Premier League last January. In November 2017, he won the Okinawa Series A.
• Abdel Rahman Almasatfa (JOR) won the 2018 Asian championships, defeating Fahad Atiah Alkhathami (KSA) in the final.
• Alkhathami won the 2017 Asian championships. He already has an Asian Games medal with his bronze won in 2010.
• Supa Ngamphuengphit (THA) won the 2017 South East Asian Games.

-75 kg

• Iran has won three of the six Asian Games gold medals given in history (1998, 2006 and 2014). Japan (1994), Kuwait (2002) and an IOC athlete (2010) claimed the other ones.
• Iran has won a medal at five of the six Asian Games held, with the exception of 2010.
• Bahman Asgari (IRI) won the title at the 2017 Asian championships. He has also finished on the podium of three Karate 1 in 2018 : 3rd in Paris, 2^nd in both Rotterdam and Istanbul.
• Bashar Alnajjar (JOR) won the 2018 Asian championships.
• Sharmendran Raghonathan (MAS) won the 2017 South East Asian Games and he finished 3rd at the 2017 Asian championships.
• Sandy Firmansyah (INA) was a bronze medallist at both the 2017 SEA Games and the 2018 Asian championships.
• Dastonbek Otabolaev (UZB) ranked 2^nd at the 2018 Rabat Premier League last April.

-84 kg

• The men's -84 kg Kumite event will be held at the Asian Games for the 3rd time. In 2010, Jasem Modamivishkaei (IRI) won gold after defeating Ryutaro Araga (JPN) in the final. In 2014, Araga claimed the Asian Games title.
• Japan is the only country to have claimed multiple medals in -84 kg at the Asian Games.
• Araga is the reigning World champion (2016) and reigning Asian champion (2018).
• At the 2017 World Games, Araga was defeated in the final by Zabiollah Poorshab (IRI), who claimed a bronze medal at the 2016 World championships.
• Poorshab has already claimed a gold medal at the Asian Games in 2010, but it was in the +84 kg division.
• Mahmoud Sajan (JOR) lost the final of the 2018 Asian championships against Araga.
• In 2017, Daniyar Yuldashev (KAZ) was the silver medallist at the Asian championships. Gianzhali Abasov (KGZ) claimed bronze.

+84 kg

• The +84 kg kumite event was held twice before at the Asian Games. Zabiollah Poorshab (IRI) won in 2010 and Rasheed Almutairi from Kuwait in 2014.
• Kazakhstan is the only country to have won multiple medals in +84 kg. Khalid Khalidov claimed bronze in both 2010 and 2014.
• Sajad Ganjzadeh (IRI) is the reigning World champion. He was also the Karate 1 Premier League Grand Champion in 2017 and ranked 2^nd at the 2017 World Games.
• Tareg Ali Hamedi (KSA) won the 2017 Asian championships by defeating Ganjzadeh in the final. He claimed bronze at the 2018 Asian championships.
• Teerawat Kangtong (THA) claimed a bronze medal at the 2018 Asian championships.
• Wai Kit Lou (MAC) and Adilet Shadykanov (KGZ) both 7th at the 2016 World championships, are the second-highest ranked Asian athletes behind Ganjzadeh. The 2018 Asian champion, Iran’s Abazari, was not selected in his national team.

KATA

• Japan won the first four gold medals at the Asian Games (1994-2006).
• Malaysia claimed gold at the last two Asian Games. Jin Keat Ku won in 2010 and Lim Chee Wei in 2014.
• Lim won the 2017 South East Asian Games and claimed bronze at the 2015 and 2017 Asian championships.
• Ryoke Abe (JPN) is the only athlete to win two gold medals at the Asian Games (1994, 1998).
• Jin Keat Ku (3), Abe (2) and Abdullah Kadir (INA, 2) are the only athletes to have claimed multiple medals.
• Japan has claimed a medal in Kata at each of the six Asian Games it was held.
• Besides Japan, Malaysia (4), Indonesia (4) and Philippines (2) are the only countries to have won multiple medals in this event.
• Ryo Kiyuna (JPN) is the two-times reigning World champion (2014, 2016) and the 2017 World Games winner.
• Kiyuna has won the last three Asian championships in 2015, 2017 and 2018. Since the start of 2017, he has also won 4 of the 10 Karate 1 events held.
• Wang Yita (TPE) finished on the podium at the last two Asian championships : 3rd in 2017, 2nd in 2018.