Karate has historically been one of Nepal’s more bankable sports in regional competitions, after taekwondo and boxing. Of the 26 medals Nepal has won so far in Asian Games, four have come from karate. But in this edition of Asian Games, currently ongoing in Nagoya, Japan, the Nepali karate contingent has had a disappointing campaign. Until Wednesday, seven of the eight Nepali karatekas—including the star Arika Gurung—had crashed out of the tournament without any medal. No medal had come from any other sport, either. For a country that had entered the tournament aiming for medals in double figures, this was a big blow.

It, however, was not the end. Tenzing Sherpa, a 23-year-old karateka from Bauddha, was yet to compete. He was competing in the men’s kumite +84kg category, set to start on Wednesday morning. Tenzing was Nepal’s sole hope to avoid a medal drought in karate, or, as it looks increasingly likely, in all sports. All eyes were on him and he didn’t disappoint. In a virtually one-sided encounter, Tenzing beat Laos’s Xayasan Vatthana 9-1 and clinched bronze.

After the victory, Tenzing raised his arms at Toyohashi Gymnasium in Nagoya, sparking wild jubilation among the Nepali contingent in Japan. The joy also resonated thousands of miles away in a quiet room in Bauddha, Kathmandu, where Tenzing’s mother, Nir Kumari Shrestha Sherpa, was busy with household work.

Nir Kumari knew that her son was fighting on Wednesday. She would have watched her son’s bout had she had the technical know-how to do so. She would have perhaps jumped in excitement as soon as her son was declared the winner. “Gyan Bahadur guru called me to inform me of Tenzing’s win,” Nir Kumari told Kantipur on Wednesday afternoon as she sat on her bed in her rented room, unable to hide her excitement. “I am very happy.”

Over the day, Tenzing has become the biggest star for Nepal in the 20th Asian Games, with a long career still ahead of him.

Tenzing joined Boudha Dojo in 2017. He was 17. Nir Kumari says that Tenzing followed his friends and seniors to the dojo and began practising karate. “He wanted to practice karate from a very young age,” said Nir Kumari, showing a bunch of medals, mostly gold, and certificates that Tenzing had won over the years. “I feel that his hard work has paid off.”

In May 2025, Tenzing won gold at the BP Memorial National Karate Championship. In April 2026, he won gold at the Late Krishna Prasad Bhattarai Memorial National Karate Championship in April. He also won gold in the 10th Cadet, Junior, U21 & Senior South Asian Karate Championship held in Dhaka in July.

Tenzing had participated in the AKF Senior Championships in Bali, Indonesia, in June. There, he lost his first bout—2-10 to Chinese Taipei’s Yi-An Chen. He had also lost 0-8 to Thailand’s Teerawat Kangtong at the AKF Senior Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in May last year.

Tenzing’s coaches attribute his losses—at least, partly—to his short temper. Tenzing’s national coach, Kushal Shrestha, said he was well aware of Tenzing’s short temper and why it needed to be kept in check. Shrestha poured cold water on Tenzing’s head before the fight, so he could keep his cool.

Tenzing had a challenging start to the Asian main event, facing Macau’s On Tek Leong in the quarterfinal bout. But it seemed that a bit of luck was on Nepal’s side as Leong got disqualified after getting his fourth warning.

Tenzing then faced Mahmoud Nemati of Iran in the semifinals, but lost 5-0. Nemati went on to win gold in the category.

Nonetheless, Tenzing had a final opportunity to make sure Nepali karate does not return empty-handed from the Asian Games. He faced Xayasan Vatthana of Laos in the repechage round—for the bronze. And he didn’t just win the bout; he dominated it.

The whole karate contingent was at the gymnasium to cheer for Tenzing. Though the squad was in low spirits as they failed to win five matches for medals, they seemed to have forgotten the pain and celebrated Tenzing’s—and Nepal’s—medal.

“I want to dedicate this medal to my mother and sisters,” Tenzing told journalists after the medal ceremony. “And my coaches and my teammates.”

Nir Kumari, who has been a single mother after her husband left her, said that she was also over the moon with Tenzing’s achievement. Tenzing’s two sisters are in Dubai.

Nir Kumari added that she worked multiple jobs to give her children a good upbringing. “I have no guilt for the sacrifices I made because my children are giving me great reasons to be happy,” she said. “I am sure they will give me bigger reasons to smile in the future.”