Hotak One Win Away From Third Asian Games Medal

Mohammad Khalid Hotak is one victory away from securing a third Asian Games medal after advancing in the men’s 70kg wushu sanda competition at the Aichi-Nagoya Games in Japan.

The Afghan fighter defeated Yemen’s Mohammed Amer to move forward in the competition. Hotak, one of Afghanistan’s flag-bearers at the opening ceremony, entered the Games with two Asian Games bronze medals already on his record.

His next bout carries a clear consequence: a win would take him into the semifinals and guarantee at least a bronze medal under the competition format.

Hotak won his first Asian Games bronze in the men’s 65kg sanda event at Jakarta 2018. He returned to the podium at the Hangzhou Asian Games, taking bronze in the 70kg division.

A third medal would give Hotak three individual Asian Games medals, moving him beyond the two won by Afghan taekwondo athlete Nesar Ahmad Bahawi. Bahawi took bronze at Doha 2006 and silver at Guangzhou 2010.

Hotak has remained active internationally between his Asian Games appearances. In June, he also secured bronze in the 70kg division at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation wushu competition in China.

Afghanistan selected Hotak for the 70kg sanda division for the 2026 Games following national wushu trials earlier this year. He arrived in Japan as one of the most experienced members of the Afghan delegation and carried the Afghan flag alongside boxer Lala Kargar at the opening ceremony.

The immediate task is now his next bout. One more win would put Hotak on an Asian Games podium for the third time.