KUALA LUMPUR: Karateka C. Shahmalarani made up for the disappointment at last year's Hangzhou Asian Games by clinching a gold medal at the Karate K1 Series A in Larnaca, Cyprus on Monday.
Shamalarani, a gold medallist at the Phnom Penh Sea Games, won the women's below 50kg event after a 9-5 win over Spain's Eva Rodriguez in the final at the Kition Athletic Centre.
Despite high hopes at the Hangzhou Asiad last year, the 25-year-old crashed out in the last 16 stage.
The petite lass, who won her first K1 Serie A title at the 2022 edition in Jakarta, said the gold medal was a testament to her hard work.
"After my disappointment at the Asian Games a few months ago, I felt disheartened. Everyone puts in effort to prepare for each championship," Shahmalarani shared on her Instagram account.
"The anticipation for this moment was immense, and it's a testament to perseverance after my podium finish at Sea Games in 2023. "Recognizing that the universe has its plan, I have added another title to my collection of K1 Series medals."
Meanwhile, Hangzhou Asian Games champion Arif Afifuddin Malik's campaign ended in a heartbreak after losing 5-1 to Montenegrin Nikola Malovic in the men's below 84kg repechage round.
He had earlier crashed out to eventual finallist Albania's Melos Gashi 4-1 in the fourth round of Group 2.
