Second Olympic medal for Jordan in Tokyo

AMMAN — Abdul Rahman Al Masatfa has won Jordan’s second medal of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games after clinching a bronze in the 67kg Karate competition, according to the Jordan Olympic Committee News Service. 

The 25-year-old medical student won every single fight in Pool B to book a semifinal match against Turkey’s Eray Samdan, which he lost 2-0.

Masatfa started his campaign with an 8-3 win over Kalvis Kalnins, of Latvia, before beating France’s Steven de Costa, 7-4. Victories over the Refugee Olympic Team’s Hamoon Derafshipour (3-0) and Colombia’s Andres Madera Delgado (4-1) followed to secure the medal by finishing top.

It is the first time that Karate has appeared at the Olympic Games, and the medal is Jordan’s second of Tokyo 2020 after Saleh Al Sharabaty secured a Taekwondo silver earlier in the Games.

It has been a memorable event for Jordan who sent a record 14 athletes to Japan. 

It was almost three medals but -91kg boxer Hussein Ishaish lost in the quarter-final of his bout earlier in the Games.