Hong Kong, China's karateka Grace Lau is setting her sights on history as she aims to secure the city’s first-ever karatedo gold medal at this year’s Asian Games.

Lau, currently ranked World No. 1 in the individual kata event, is one of eight athletes representing the SAR at the Games, which will be held next month in Aichi-Nagoya in Japan.

She heads into the competition with renewed resolve after claiming bronze at the last Asian Games in Hangzhou — and this time, she’s determined to upgrade the colour of her medal.

Reflecting on her previous outing, Lau admitted that pressure got the better of her.

"I remember in the last Asian Games, I was very stressed. I was trying to force different things that I cannot control ... I had a lot of expectation to myself, and I know there are a lot of expectation from others to me," she said.

"I put that too much on my shoulders, and when I competed, I couldn't enjoy it. But in these few years, I learned a lot. I grew a lot, and I know how to face challenges with a better mentality. This year I'm trying to enjoy the whole game, all the experience, just be happy."

To sharpen her edge, Lau has been adapting to rule changes introduced this year by the World Karate Federation.

She used two Premier League competitions to familiarise herself with the new regulations, hoping the experience will give her an advantage in Nagoya.

Hong Kong’s squad features three female and five male athletes.

Among the men, Martin Li is the sole debutant on the team and will compete in the team kata event — an area where he already boasts gold medal form, having won the National Karate Championships Finals late last year.

Li said his teammates have been instrumental in his preparation as he gears up for his first Asian Games.

He plans to treat the event like any other competition, focusing on delivering his best performance without overthinking the occasion.

Head coach William Thomas, meanwhile, is keeping expectations measured.

While he refrains from piling medal pressure on his athletes, he expects nothing less than their finest showing on the big stage.

Thomas also emphasised the importance of team spirit, commitment, and mutual respect in his training approach, adding that fostering a strong, united squad is just as vital as technical preparation.




Edited by Tony Sabine