🇰🇷 KOREA RECLAIMS ASIAN TEAM SABRE TITLE BY DEMOLISHING JAPAN

NEW DELHI, INDIA — 22 JUNE 2026

The Korean men’s sabre giants spectacularly reasserted their continental dominance on the fourth day of the 2026 Asian Fencing Championships, storming to a magnificent team gold medal. Competing at the event in New Delhi, World number two Korea exacted sweet revenge for their 2025 final defeat, completely overwhelming reigning champions Japan 45–29 in an absolute masterclass of a gold medal match.

The thunderous performance restores the Korean squad to the top step of the Asian podium, reversing last year's result.

While Japan had to settle for a proud silver medal, World number 19 Kazakhstan won an absolute point-for-point thriller against China to capture a historic bronze medal.

Path to the Podium

Team Korea, fielding a star-studded lineup of Do Gyeongdong, Park Sangwon, Oh Sanguk and Hwang Heegeun, received an initial opening bye before dismantling Saudi Arabia 45–24 in the quarter-finals.

The top seeds encountered very little resistance in their semi-final match against Kazakhstan. With Hwang resting on the bench, the clinical Korean trio dominated the opening three legs to establish a massive 15–4 cushion. Kazakhstan fought back tenaciously across the middle legs, making a tactical substitution by bringing on Nurmukhammed Zhailybay for Nazarbay Sattarkhan, but Korea still maintained a comfortable 30–20 lead after six fights. Sattarkhan returned to the strip for the final third but the focused Koreans gave nothing away, running out easy 45–34 winners.

The gold medal match against Japan was an exhibition of mid-match acceleration. Korea established a 15–12 lead after the opening third, though a brilliant 7–2 leg from Japan's Kokubo Mao against Do kept the defending champions well within touching distance. Refusing to panic, the Korean lineup knuckled down beautifully, utterly dominating the middle three legs to surge into an untouchable 30–21 lead after six fights. Japan introduced Kaito Streets off the bench for the seventh leg but he was completely unable to put a dent in their opponent’s momentum as Korea effortlessly closed out the 45–29 victory.

Team Japan, represented by Tsumori Shido, Kokubo Mao, Kaito Streets and Tsubo Hayato, put together a highly impressive campaign to secure silver. The World number seven squad opened their direct elimination account by crushing Australia 45–18 before grinding past China in the semi-finals.

With Streets resting on the bench, Japan seized the distance early to build a 15–11 cushion after three legs. China subbed in Wei Zhenhao for Luo Shaotong in the middle rounds but the Japanese athletes stayed sharp, widening their advantage to 30–25 after six fights. Luo returned to anchor the Chinese lineup but the Japanese squad finished with total authority to seal a 45–38 win.

Team Kazakhstan, utilising an incredibly resilient roster of Artyom Sarkissyan, Zhanat Nabiyev, Nazarbay Sattarkhan and Nurmukhammed Zhailybay, celebrated a monumental milestone by capturing a historic bronze medal. This marks only the second time Kazakhstan has ever won an Asian Championship medal in this discipline, repeating their breakthrough success from 2021. The underdogs fought through a grueling path, subduing Iran 45–33 before winning an absolute 45–43 quarter-final cliffhanger against World number 13 Uzbekistan.

Following their semi-final setback against Korea, the Kazakhs engaged in one of the most wildly unpredictable, dramatic bronze medal play-offs in fencing history to defeat China 45–44. China edged a highly competitive opening third to lead 15–13 after three legs before Zhailybay turned the match upside down, producing a blistering 7–2 leg over Lin Xiao to vault Kazakhstan ahead 20–17. China's Shen Chenpeng fired back with an 8–5 leg against Sarkissyan in the sixth, leaving Kazakhstan hanging onto a tight 30–28 cushion heading into the final three fights.

The drama peaked across a breathtaking final stretch. China brought on substitute Wei in the seventh leg but Zhailybay pushed the Kazakh advantage out to 35–29. Just as the match looked out of reach, Shen stunned the arena by executing a miraculous 11–3 scoring explosion against Nabiyev in the eighth, catapulting China back into a shocking 40–38 lead. The epic encounter had one final twist. Kazakh anchor Sarkissyan dug deep, out-duelling Luo 7–4 in a nerve-shredding final leg to snatch a sensational 45–44 victory.

Team China, represented by Lin Xiao, Luo Shaotong, Shen Chenpeng and Wei Zhenhao, suffered the ultimate heartbreak to finish in fourth place. The World number 10 squad put together a strong morning session by routing New Zealand 45–13 and edging past Hong Kong 45–42 but they have now failed to reach the continental team podium since capturing bronze back in 2023.

Full results here.