"I wanted to dedicate this to my homeland that suffered a landslide..." Female karate star from Nepal sheds tears after losing bronze medal final, saying "I'm sorry" [Aichi Nagoya AG]

*This content was translated by AI.

"I'm sorry."

Ariga Gurung (22), a member of the Nepalese national karate team who had hoped to bring hope to her homeland devastated by massive landslides and floods, finally broke down in tears after narrowly missing out on an Asian Games medal.

Japan's Kyodo News reported on the 21st that "Gurung, from Dadeng District in central Nepal, competing in the women's kumite over 68kg category at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, shed tears after losing the bronze medal match."

As a seasoned competitor who had secured runner-up status in the previous tournament, Gurung faced high expectations from Nepal but ultimately missed the medal. She bowed her head and said, "I'm sorry."

Earlier this month, Gurung was named "Outstanding Female Athlete" by the Nepalese sports community, during which she conveyed a message of hope to her fellow citizens: "If we all join forces, we can surely overcome this disaster."

Although she did not make it onto the podium, an official from the Nepalese delegation encouraged her, stating, "We may have missed the medal, but we gained important lessons through this competition."

Meanwhile, Nepal sent a large delegation of over 130 athletes to this tournament. The region around Gurung's hometown, along with other parts of Nepal, suffered severe national damage last month due to a Himalayan glacier collapse and massive landslides and floods near the Nepal-China border on the 26th of last month.

Even amidst deep scars from the disaster, the Nepalese team has been working tirelessly to bring comfort and hope to their people through sports.

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*This content was translated by AI.