PETALING JAYA: Malaysian karate exponent C. Shahmalarani has earned a big career breakthrough by reaching the Asian Championships final in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
The two-time SEA Games champion assured herself of a first-ever Asian championships medal after making it to the women's below 50kg kumite final on Friday (May 23).
The 26-year-old punched her way into the final at Yunusobod Sports Complex after pulling off an upset 9-1 win over reigning world champion Moldir Zhangbyrby of Kazakhstan 9-1.
Shahmalarani, who got a bye in the first round, sent a sound warning of her intentions by taking down Wang Junhui of China 8-1 to enter the quarter-finals.
She advanced to the semi-finals with an impressive 4-1 win over Japan's Okazaki Aika 4-1 before overcoming Zhangbyrby to guarantee a medal for herself and Malaysia.
Shahmalarani, currently ranked 16th in the world, will take on the host nation's Gulshan Alimardanova in the final tomorrow (May 25).
Regardless of the outcome, it is already an achievement for Shahmalarani as she has never made it to the medal rounds in the Asian championships.
The Selangor-born fighter is the first Malaysian kumite exponent in 13 years to contest an Asian championships final.
Loganesha Rao reached the men's kumite below 55kg final but settled for silver in the 2012 edition also held in Tashkent.
The last time Malaysia took gold at the Asian championships was in the 2011 edition in Quanzhou, China when Mohd Hatta Mahamut won the men's kumite below 84kg category.
