Riyadh: Saudi karate athlete Dina Mustafa has become the first Saudi woman to win a medal at the Asian Games, securing bronze in the women’s 68kg category at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, on Sunday, September 20.
Mustafa defeated Nepal’s Arika Gurung 8-7 in a dramatic third-place playoff. She fought back from a 3-0 deficit to complete the comeback and secure a historic medal for Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
Saudi teammate Saud Al-Bashir also won bronze in karate, defeating Nepal’s Tamang 2-0 in the men’s 60kg category.
Al-Bashir reached the bronze-medal bout after beating Thailand’s Siwakon Mueakthong on advantage following a 5-5 draw. He then lost 11-8 to Kuwait’s Abdullah Shaaban before recovering with a 10-2 victory over Kyrgyzstan’s Kalykov.
The two bronze medals added to Saudi Arabia’s medal tally at the Games and marked a significant achievement for the Kingdom’s karate team.
From driving reforms to sporting success
For decades, Saudi Arabia had one of the world’s lowest rates of female workforce participation, reflecting broader challenges across the Middle East in providing women with access to employment.
The Kingdom has undergone significant social and economic changes under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 programme, which seeks to diversify the economy and increase women’s participation in the labour market.
As part of the reforms, Saudi women gained the right to drive and greater access to public spaces, including sports stadiums. Employment opportunities have also expanded, with women increasingly entering sectors and professions that were previously dominated by men.
These changes have contributed to a broader shift in the role of women in Saudi Arabia’s economy, workforce and public life as the Kingdom pursues its Vision 2030 objectives.
