Vietnam women's kata team wins Asiad 20 gold: The 'kata queen' flame still burns

On the afternoon of September 22, 2026, in Nagoya, Japan, Nguyen Ngoc Tram, Bui Ngoc Nhi and Hoang Thi Thu Uyen stepped onto the women's team kata mat at the 20th Asian Games. Their movements were sharp, their breathing synchronized. When the scoreboard confirmed first place, the three Vietnamese athletes hugged each other in tears. It was Vietnam's first gold medal at the 20th Asian Games and a powerful sign that the flame of Vietnam's "kata queens" has not gone out. The victory carried extra meaning because Vietnam's karate team had gone through many changes. Nguyen Ngoc Tram was the only remaining member from the group that won gold at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2026, alongside Luu Thi Thu Uyen and Nguyen Thi Phuong. That event had only four teams: Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia and Brunei. At the 20th Asian Games, the women's team kata competition featured eight teams, twice as many, while Vietnam fielded two young athletes, Bui Ngoc Nhi, 19, and Hoang Thi Thu Uyen, 20. The foundation came from former coach Nguyen Hoang Ngan, once known as the "kata queen." She won an Asian Games silver and a world championship gold as an athlete, then coached the next generations. In October 2026, she moved to the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam. Her successor was Do Thi Thu Ha, her former teammate. In 2026, Thu Ha, Hoang Ngan and Nguyen Thi Hang won the Asian Championship women's team kata gold. A distinctive detail remained unchanged: the short hair. Nguyen Ngoc Tram said short hair is convenient for karate training and competition, and the coaches are idols and close sisters to the athletes. That bond helped the team keep its calm, steady "mushin" mentality despite a new lineup. Bui Ngoc Nhi also won bronze in individual kata two days earlier. The gold medal proves that Vietnam's kata tradition is built on a system, not just individual talent.