Malaysian Karatekas showed power in the first day of the Karate competition of the 29th Southeast Asian Games being held in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). Local athletes gave fans of the host country plenty of reasons to celebrate after claiming three golds in a thrilling starting day of Karate action.

Malaysian Karatekas showed power in the first day of the Karate competition at the 29th Southeast Asian Games being held in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). Local athletes gave fans of the host country plenty of reasons to celebrate after claiming three golds in a thrilling starting day of Karate action.

The 2017 Southeast Asian Games gather over four thousand athletes from 11 countries taking part in 38 disciplines. The Karate event started on Tuesday as the top karatekas from the participating delegations showcased the excitement of the ancient discipline.

Celine Lee Xin Yi inaugurated the golden day for hosts with her triumph in Female Kata competition. The 23 year-old Malaysian karateka dominated the category of choreographed movements and claimed a convincing victory over Indonesia’s Sisilia Agustiani Ora in the final.

Fellow Malaysian athlete Lim Chee Wei followed suit and also prevailed in Male Kata. The 26 year-old karateka narrowly edged Indonesia’s Ahmad Zigi Zaresta Yuda in the final to confirm the domination of hosts in Kata tournament.

The trio of gold medals for local karatekas was completed with SenthilKumaran Selvarajoo’s victory in Male Kumite -60kg. In a thrilling final bout, the 25 year-old Malaysian karateka defeated Jayson Ramil Macaalay of the Philippines by 5-3.

In the fourth category at stake on the starting day of competition, Nguyen Thi Hong Anh of Vietnam confirmed her favourite status and prevented local delegation from claiming another gold after upsetting host athlete Pressy Misty Philip by 3-1.

The Karate competition continues on Wednesday with the Female Kumite –55kg, -61kg, and -68kg categories, and the Male Kumite –55kg, -75kg and +75kg competitions