Hong Kong's Grace Lau Mo-sheung performs in the women's kata ranking round of the karate competition during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Aug 5, 2021. (PHOTO / AFP)

HONG KONG – Hong Kong’s karate athlete Grace Lau Mo-sheung on Friday won her first gold medal in the women's kata event in the Asian Karate Federation Championships.

She beat three-time Asian champion Kiyou Shimizu of Japan in the kata final with 44.1 to 43.5 scores in the city of Melaka, Malaysia.

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Congratulating her on winning the gold medal, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said Lau has always performed well in international competitions.

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“We are very proud and delighted to witness Hong Kong's elite athletes reaching the top again,” he said, wishing all Hong Kong athletes every success in other international competitions.