PETALING JAYA: After 11 years, Malaysia have another karate finalist at a World Championships.
C. Shahmalarani stormed into the women's kumite below 50kg final at the World Championships in Cairo, Egypt after an impressive take down of world No. 5 Sara Bahmanyar of Iran in the semi-finals on Saturday (Nov 29).
Shahmalarani, ranked 11th in the world, overcame the newly crowned World Games gold medallist Bahmanyar 4-1 to assure herself of a medal in her first World Championships campaign.
Shahmalarani will face Gulshan Alimardanova in what is a repeat match of their Asian Championships final clash in May this year, which ended in favour of the Uzbek fighter.
The 26-year-old two-time SEA Games champion is only the second Malaysian karate exponent to reach a World Championships final.
Syakilla Salni Jefry Krisnan also made it to the women's kumite below 61kg final at the World Championships in Bremen, Germany in 2014 but lost to Egyptian Giana Farouk in the final.
"Malaysia’s second-ever World Championship finalist — ending an 11-year wait!. What an incredible journey , beating the current World Games and Islamic Solidarity Games champion in the semi-finals," she posted on her social media account.
Shahmalarani had earlier sent Lili Alvarado of Ecuador packing 5-3 in the quarter-finals.
