By Naranbat Serjmaa
OCA Youth Reporter from Mongolia
Nagoya, Japan, September 27, 2026: "Honestly, it feels completely unreal—we were trailing by almost 10 touches, and pulling off a comeback like that shows these guys are absolute legends," declared Kazakh épée star Ruslan Kurbanov after leading his team to a dramatic gold medal victory at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 on Sunday.
Kazakhstan's men's épée team produced an extraordinary turnaround during the competition, overcoming a massive deficit to defeat Korea 43-42 in a thrilling final.
The gold medal squad for Kazakhstan was comprised of two-time Olympian Ruslan Kurbanov, Paris 2024 Olympian Vadim Sharlaimov, Asian U23 medalist Kirill Prokhodov and reserve Yerlik Sertay.
This victory marks a monumental milestone for Kazakh fencing, securing the nation's third Asian Games gold medal in the men's team épée event after previous successes in 2002 and 1994.
Korea earned the silver medal, while the host nation Japan and Hong Kong, China captured co-bronze medal honors.
To reach the final, Kazakhstan delivered a commanding performance in the semifinals, defeating Hong Kong, China 45-34.
In the other semifinal, Korea narrowly edged past Japan by a score of 38-37 to book their place in the gold medal match.
Midway through the championship final, Korea took control of the strip and built a daunting 19-10 lead over Kazakhstan.
"At 19-10 down, coming back from almost 10 touches seemed practically impossible," Kurbanov recalled.
"We kept encouraging each other, focusing heavily on our tactics and maintaining our emotional team spirit so that every single fencer lifted the next," Kurbanov explained.
"Even when a bout was not going our way, we worked step by step to level the situation," Kurbanov added. "The team fought with incredible heart, and those last two bouts completely turned the whole match around."
When asked about the tactical shift that triggered their late surge, Vadim Sharlaimov pointed to a decisive change in mindset on the strip.
"I think we became significantly more focused and much bolder," Sharlaimov said.
"We began taking higher risks," Kurbanov agreed. "With nothing left to lose, we committed 100 percent to every attack.
"For our opponents, it became far more difficult to adapt because we came at them with complete determination - and in the end it worked," Kurbanov noted.
Reflecting on what the victory means for their country, Kurbanov emphasized the prestige of the tournament back home.
"Bringing home a gold medal after so many years makes this a massive victory for Kazakh fencing," Kurbanov stated.
"In Kazakhstan, these competitions carry enormous weight," Kurbanov added. "As we say back home, this is the Olympics of Asia, held once every four years, so bringing this gold home is an incredible result."
When asked who would receive the very first phone call from the new champions to share the news, Kurbanov smiled warmly.
"My family, of course. My relatives and loved ones," Kurbanov said.
He then laughed, pointing over to the celebrating team management and federation officials surrounding them on the arena floor: "As for our bosses, there is no need to call them, they are all standing right here next to us!"
