Vietnam Beat Iran in the Women's Team Kata Final to Claim Their First Gold of the Asian Games
Bui Ngoc Nhi, Hoang Thi Thu Uyen and Nguyen Ngoc Tram had earlier swept Chinese Taipei five nil in the semi-finals of the karate event in Toyohashi.
Vietnam won their first gold medal of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on 22 September 2026, when the trio of Bui Ngoc Nhi, Hoang Thi Thu Uyen and Nguyen Ngoc Tram beat Iran in the final of the women's team kata at Toyohashi Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture.
The Vietnamese team were praised for precise execution, synchronisation and artistic impression as they outperformed the Iranian trio of Sadeghi Dastak Fatemeh, Hosseini Zeynabalsadat and Animi Soumeh Kabodin Sepideh.
Vietnam reached the final by beating Chinese Taipei 5-0 in the semi-finals. Chinese Taipei's team of Chien Hui-hsuan, Tien Hsin-erh and Hung Chih-hsuan recovered to take bronze with a 5-0 win over Nepal.
Unlike kumite, in which karateka fight one another, team kata sees three athletes perform a set routine in unison before a panel of judges, with marks awarded for precision and synchronised movement.
Bui Ngoc Nhi had already won bronze in the women's individual kata earlier in the Games. Before the team kata final, Vietnam's other medals were bronzes in mixed doubles teqball, women's individual kata and women's under-68kg kumite.
The karate competition continues at Toyohashi, and the Vietnamese delegation will hope the breakthrough gold sparks further success across the rest of the Games.