Thirteen golds, 23 silvers and 49 bronzes mark an impressive regional campaign in Dhaka
Sri Lanka’s national karate delegation returned from Dhaka with a reported 85-medal tally, comprising 13 gold, 23 silver and 49 bronze medals. The achievement covered multiple age divisions and senior competition, while five Sri Lankan coaches reportedly gained Asian Karate Federation accreditation.
Sri Lanka’s karate athletes have returned home following an impressive performance at the 10th Cadet, Junior, Under-21 and Senior South Asian Karate Championship 2026, held in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Sri Lankan reports placed the national delegation’s total at 85 medals, comprising 13 gold, 23 silver and 49 bronze medals. The athletes were welcomed at Bandaranaike International Airport on 21 July by representatives of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the Sri Lanka Karate Association, families and supporters after arriving on SriLankan Airlines flight UL190.
The championship competitions were staged on 18 and 19 July 2026 at the Shaheed Suhrawardy Indoor Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka. The programme included the main South Asian championship for cadet, junior, Under-21 and senior athletes, together with the 2nd South Asian Under-14 Karate Cup.
Sri Lanka’s Reported Medal Haul
Reported by Sri Lankan media following the national delegation’s return.
A Championship Covering Several Generations
Organisers announced that 565 athletes from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka would compete across the different divisions. The tournament was organised by the South Asian Karate Federation, with support from the Bangladesh Karate Federation.
Sri Lanka recorded several notable results from the opening day. The country won gold in the junior girls’ team kata, while a Sri Lankan competitor identified as Allepola secured silver in the women’s individual kata. Sri Lanka’s Shyamal was also reported among the bronze medallists in the Under-21 men’s kata.
The Sri Lanka Navy later confirmed that three of its athletes representing the national team collectively secured five bronze medals.
Leading Seaman ADNS Ariyarathna earned bronze in the men’s individual kumite under-50kg category. Woman Able Seaman PLM Nethmini secured bronze medals in the women’s under-61kg individual kumite and women’s team kumite, while Woman Leading Seaman KAC Dulanjali won bronze in the women’s under-68kg individual event and team kumite.
Championship at a Glance
A multi-division regional programme bringing together emerging athletes and experienced senior competitors.
Five Coaches Reportedly Gain AKF Accreditation
The medal results were accompanied by another important development for Sri Lankan karate. Reports stated that five Sri Lankan coaches who travelled with the delegation earned Asian Karate Federation Coaching Accreditation.
Athletes remain at the centre of the achievement, but qualified coaching is critical to building sustainable sporting success. Internationally recognised training and accreditation can strengthen technical knowledge, athlete preparation, safety standards and the transfer of expertise to schools, clubs and regional training centres.
The development therefore adds value beyond a single competition. When experienced coaches return with updated knowledge and stronger regional connections, their learning can benefit a much wider group of emerging athletes.
Turning Medals into Long-Term Momentum
Regional success creates its greatest value when it strengthens the complete athlete-development pathway.
Use school, club and regional competitions to discover promising young karate athletes.
Share international knowledge and technical standards with coaches throughout Sri Lanka.
Provide athletes with regular opportunities to compete against strong regional opponents.
Connect athletes with training facilities, sports science, sponsorship and public recognition.
Understanding the Reported Medal Total
The reported breakdown of 13 gold, 23 silver and 49 bronze medals mathematically produces a total of 85. However, a publicly accessible, medal-by-medal official results book for the entire Sri Lankan delegation could not be located during SLD’s verification.
A host-country report separately named Nepal as overall champion, India as runner-up and Bangladesh in third place. Those rankings should not be directly compared with Sri Lanka’s reported homecoming total without clarification of how team-event medals, the Under-14 Cup and the main championship were counted.
For accuracy, the achievement is therefore best described as a reported 85-medal haul, rather than a claim that Sri Lanka was the overall championship winner.
A Platform for Sri Lanka’s Next Generation
The Dhaka performance demonstrates the depth of Sri Lankan participation across youth and senior karate. It also offers an opportunity to give martial arts athletes greater recognition alongside the country’s more heavily promoted sports.
The next step should be to convert regional results into long-term development through consistent training, transparent selection systems, qualified coaching, sports science, international competition exposure and support for talented athletes from schools and local clubs.
Publishing a complete official results sheet—including athlete names, divisions and events—would also ensure that every medallist receives appropriate national recognition.
The SLD Perspective
For Sri Lanka Directory, this achievement is not simply about a medal count. It is about recognising the athletes, coaches, families, schools, clubs and sporting organisations working together to strengthen Sri Lanka’s international presence.
SLD congratulates the entire Sri Lankan karate delegation and encourages athletes, coaches, clubs and associations to share their verified achievements and professional profiles with the global Sri Lankan community through SriLankaDirectory.com.
