By Sachit Subba • Other Sports • Sep 23, 2026 06:09 AM • 48 views
TOYOHASHI, Japan — Nepal arrived at the 20th Asian Games with an ambitious target: a double-digit medal haul and Asian Games gold. After three years of preparation under the much-discussed "Mission 2026", expectations were high, particularly around karate, boxing, wushu and women's kabaddi. But as the competition moves forward in Aichi-Nagoya, that ambitious medal projection has come under increasing pressure. Tenzing Sherpa's bronze in the men's kumite +84kg has emerged as Nepal's sole medal so far, with several of the country's highly anticipated medal contenders unable to convert their opportunities into podium finishes. Karate has provided some of the most painful near-misses. Arika Gurung, Nepal's silver medallist from the Hangzhou Asian Games, entered Aichi-Nagoya carrying significant expectations and reached the semifinal in the women's +68kg category. She subsequently lost the semifinal and the bronze-medal repechage, finishing outside the podium. Other karate hopes also slipped away. Min Bahadur Tamang and Rakesh Manandhar reached the semifinals in their respective categories but couldn't secure bronze in their repechage bouts. The results left Nepal's karate campaign with a series of opportunities that ultimately produced no medal until Tenzing's breakthrough.
Boxing has also carried considerable expectations. Chandra Bahadur Thapa, one of Nepal's most decorated recent boxers and a 2025 IBA World Boxing Championships bronze medallist, was among the athletes expected to lead the medal challenge. His campaign, however, has added to a difficult start for Nepal's boxing hopes.
Against that backdrop, Tenzing's performance has become particularly significant. He advanced to the +84kg semifinal after defeating Macau's Leong On Tek by Hansoku, before losing 5–0 to Iran's Mahmoud Nemati. Rather than ending his campaign empty-handed, Sherpa returned for the bronze-medal bout and produced a commanding 9–1 victory over Laos' Vatthana Xayasan, putting Nepal on the podium.
The remaining major source of hope now comes from women's kabaddi. Nepal opened its Group B campaign with a dramatic 46–43 comeback victory over Thailand after trailing 24–15 at halftime. The team's fightback, including two all-outs on Thailand, has kept Nepal's hopes alive in a tournament where the women's kabaddi squad is attempting to build on the bronze won at the previous Asian Games.
The road ahead, however, remains demanding. Nepal's women must navigate a competitive Group B before any semifinal opportunity arrives. The group also includes Chinese Taipei and Sri Lanka, while the top two teams advance to the semifinals.
For now, the picture is starkly different from the one Nepal carried into Aichi-Nagoya. A campaign that began with talk of double-digit medals and a historic first gold has so far produced a single bronze. Tenzing Sherpa has ensured Nepal is not leaving empty-handed, but the country's search for its first Asian Games gold continues, while women's kabaddi remains one of the remaining opportunities to change the campaign's trajectory.
