By Meera Regmi
OCA Young Reporter from Bhutan
Nagoya,Japan, September 21,2026: After all those years of endless training and major competitions, Howard Hung Ho-wai stepped on to the tatami carrying the hopes of his people back home. And today, at Toyohashi Gymnasium, Hung made history for Hong Kong, China with a bronze medal.
Hung secured the bronze medal in the men's individual Kata after defeating Malaysia's Henry Mohamad Hanzil with a score of 5-0. He had initially lost 4-1 against Macao, China's Fong Man Hou in the semi-final,falling to the bronze medal contest.For the next match against Malaysia he responded strongly and energetically, earning higher scores from all five judges securing his bronze.
The scores tells the story of Hung in tatami but not the journey that has moulded Hung into an incredible athlete.
After coming so close to the podium with the Hong Kong, China team in men's Kata in the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games, they had lost against Iraq and left without a medal. This time, Hung returned stronger and won the bronze.
"The feeling is completely different when competing with team and all by myself. I am getting old and this is my first Asian medal. I feel excited. It is my individual achievement." said Hung
He expressed that, at the moment where he knew he got the bronze medal, he proved and felt that he is on the right track, that all his efforts had not been wasted and all his self-doubts were false. He felt fulfilled.
He expressed that, after being in other major karate competitions, it had given him experiences which helped him deal with the pressure before he steps on to the tatami. Additionally, he claimed that a lot of pressure also comes from the phone - so he had given up his screen time to only focus on him and his matches.
"You need to trust yourself, that's the most important thing," said Hung, outlining that a lot of pressure can be handled by one's own belief in themselves.
When he was young he always got inspired by his seniors who represented Hong Kong and he always dreamt of representing Hong Kong. After being in the Hong Kong team for 20 years, as a full-time athlete, he had now become someone whom the juniors can come up to and learn from. He has now become someone whom he has always dreamt of becoming.
He also showed huge appreciation to his wife for always being there for him and his coach for making him an international player. He expressed that he is happy and thankful for having them here .
