Podium Breakthrough

TDT | Manama

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MMA Duo Win Bahrain’s First Medals in Japan

Diana Pogosian and Mukhammad Nabiev won Bahrain’s first medals of the 20th Asian Games yesterday after claiming silver in their respective mixed martial arts events in Aichi-Nagoya.

Pogosian secured the kingdom’s first podium finish of the Games in the women’s modern -54kg division, losing to Thailand’s Kanjutha Phattaraboonsorn by unanimous decision in the final at the Nagoya City Inae Sports Center.

The Bahraini had earned her place in the title bout with a doctor-stoppage victory over South Korea’s Bomi Lee in the semi-finals, having earlier defeated Japan’s Tomoe Katayama by unanimous decision.

Nabiev added a second silver shortly afterwards in the men’s traditional -77kg category, where Kazakhstan’s Yerkingali Burkutalin prevailed by unanimous decision in the gold-medal contest.

His route to the final included a unanimous-decision victory over Vietnam’s Quang Van Minh before he overcame Kyrgyzstan’s Syimyk Zhanybek Uulu by the same method in the semi-finals.

The double success opened Bahrain’s medal account at their 14th Asian Games appearance and took their all-time haul at the continental showpiece to 106.

Having entered Aichi-Nagoya with 104 medals from their previous campaigns, the Bahrainis now have 49 gold, 29 silver and 28 bronze.

Their largest single-edition haul remains the 26 medals won at Jakarta-Palembang 2018, while the previous Games in Hangzhou brought 20 medals, including 12 gold, three silver and five bronze.