Karachi, 21 September, 2026 (Nosheen): Pakistan secured its first medal at the 2026 Asian Games after Karachi-based mixed martial artist Asim Khan won a bronze medal in his event. Asim Khan was defeated in the mixed martial arts semifinal, but his appearance in the semifinal guaranteed him a bronze medal under the competition rules. The medal ceremony is scheduled to take place on Tuesday. Team leader Dalawar Khan said Asim Khan had opened Pakistan’s medal account and expressed hope that the country would win more medals in the remaining events. The bronze is Asim Khan’s first Asian Games medal; he has previously won a bronze medal at the World Championships and a silver medal at the Asian level. He is scheduled to return to Karachi on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Pakistani athletes continued to compete in other events, with swimmer Hamza Asif finishing second in his heat of the men’s 50-metre freestyle but ranking 30th overall. In the mixed triathlon final, Pakistan’s team was listed as NDF after Ali Hassan failed to complete the event within the stipulated time, while Sana Arif, Anisha and Mustaghis Noor completed the swimming, cycling and running stages. Coach Abdul Ghaffar Gujjar said he was satisfied with the athletes’ performances, noting that Pakistan finished 14th in the overall ranking. Pakistan also suffered defeats in mixed doubles soft tennis against Chinese Taipei, South Korea and the Philippines, while the women’s table tennis team lost to India in the group stage.