Lau Mo Sheung made history for China's Hong Kong at the 2025 Chengdu World Games, securing a gold medal in women's kata karate with a flawless 45.3-point performance. This marks Hong Kong's first women's event gold in World Games history and their second overall title at the prestigious event.
The 33-year-old athlete dedicated her victory to her late grandmother, stating: "This gold medal was a promise to my grandmother. This world title makes it real – I am a world champion now." Lau triumphed over Japan's Maho Ono and Spain's Paola Garcia Lozano in a tense final held in southwest China's Sichuan Province.
While Hong Kong celebrated its milestone, China's Wei Yuchun faced dramatic semifinal controversy in women's kumite -55kg. A successful protest erased her 9-1 lead against Ukraine's Anzhelika Terliuga, forcing a restart from 1-0 down. Despite the setback, Wei told reporters: "She was my idol as a child, and now I believe I can beat her."
The games saw strong Asian representation with Iran's Sara Bahmanyar claiming gold in women's -50kg kumite, while Japan's Kakeru Nishiyama dominated the men's kata division. Over 30 countries and regions competed across karate disciplines, demonstrating the sport's global growth ahead of its potential Olympic return.
