Kazakhstan records 84-medal haul and historic achievements at Asian Games

Kazakhstan secured an impressive 84-medal haul at the 20th Summer Asian Games, concluding the multi-sport event in Japan with historic achievements across multiple disciplines. Reported via Qazinform News Agency and citing the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Central Asian nation finished eighth in the overall medal standings among 46 participating countries.

The latest medal count represents a notable three-place improvement in the standings compared to the previous continental games in Hangzhou, where the team finished 11th. Alongside the higher standing, the delegation boosted its gold medal output and broke long-standing records in several Olympic disciplines.

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Among the standout performances was Kazakhstan's return to the top of the podium in boxing. The country last won boxing gold at the Asian Games in 2014, while no gold medals were secured at the following two editions. In Japan, Torekhan Sabyrkhan won the men's 70kg title, while national team captain Aibek Oralbay triumphed in the over 90kg category, ending a 12-year wait for a boxing gold at the continental games.

Fencing also delivered a breakthrough when the men's épée team defeated South Korea 43-42 in the final to claim the country's first-ever gold in the discipline. The Korean lineup included Park Sang-young, the Rio 2016 Olympic champion in individual épée. The victory capped a historic season for the Kazakhstani team, which also won the Asian Championships and became world champions for the first time before claiming Asian Games gold, marking the first time any team had achieved all three titles in a single season.

Additional historic firsts followed in water and combat sports. Vladislav Yakovlev and Ivan Chernukhin won Kazakhstan's first-ever Asian Games gold in rowing, triumphing in the men's pair coxless event. Tamirlan Tleules also made history by winning Kazakhstan's first Asian Games gold in taekwondo, taking the men's 58kg title. Cyclist Alexey Lutsenko further strengthened his record by taking his sixth Asian Games gold medal, becoming Kazakhstan's most decorated athlete in terms of Asian Games victories. Rinata Sultanova became the first Kazakhstani woman to win Asian Games gold in the individual cycling time trial.

In combat sports, Kazakhstan claimed two karate gold medals through Zholaman Bigabyl and Sofya Berultseva, with the latter earning her second Asian Games title. Meanwhile, the Asian Games' inaugural mixed martial arts tournament saw Yerkingali Burkutalin and Kadyrbek Shynbayev win gold medals, while Sanzhar Adilov took bronze.

The judo team reached four individual finals for the first time at the Asian Games. Yeldos Smetov, Abiba Abuzhakynova, Adilet Almat, and Azhar Askhat won silver medals, all losing their finals to Japanese opponents. Kazakhstan added another silver in the mixed team event, meaning all five judo finals involving Kazakhstani athletes featured representatives of Japan. In artistic gymnastics, Milad Karimi won silver in the floor exercise, bringing Kazakhstan back onto the Asian Games podium in the discipline for the first time in 32 years. Kazakhstan's wrestlers also showed progress, as the men's freestyle team won three bronze medals after failing to win a medal at the previous Asian Games, and the women's team improved its tally by earning one silver and two bronze medals compared to one silver in Hangzhou.