East Kalimantan and South Sulawesi took two gold medals each in the karate event at the National Games on Sunday, with six golds up for grabs at the Balikpapan Sports and Convention Hall.
In the final of the women's over-60-kilogram bout, home favorite Atik Wahyuningsih overpowered South Sulawesi's Wiwik Pertiwi to claim victory.
Imas Nurhayati from West Java and Mardiah Nasution from West Sumatra, who failed to live up to her top billing after winning bronze at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, took bronze.
Cheered on by a near-capacity crowd, East Kalimantan added to its medal tally when Ade Bagus beat East Java's M. Hasan Basri in the final of the men's 65-kilogram contest.
North Sumatra's Jintar Simanjuntak and Jakarta's M. Nur Fajar settled for bronze after losing in the semifinals.
The South Sulawesi karate team, led by 2007 Southeast Asian Games champion Ismail Aswar, reigned in the men's 70-kilogram individual and team competitions.
Ismail outclassed Bali's I Ketut Murti in the final, with bronze going to Billi Maulana S. from East Java and Risky Syahbana from West Java.
Ismail then teamed up with Faizal Zainuddin and Fidelys Lolobua to clinch gold in the team event. Jakarta's Angga Firmala, Dennies Ibrahim Sari and Fery Maradona took silver, while East Java's Adhe Rengga Drestian, Bambang Muchpriyanto and Harison Panghitung Situmorang shared the bronze medal with West Java's Erwin Ramdani, Fransiskus and Sutiawan.
"I am really happy I could deliver two gold medals today," Ismail told The Jakarta Post.
The West Java women's team won the team event, with Alit Tresna, Dewi Yulianti and Tuli Ekayanti outclassing their opponents.
The losing finalists were East Java's Indriana P., Staphanie Dewi and Tinne Novita. Desak Made Asmarawati, Gusti Agung Maharani and Ni Luh Sumadiani from Bali shared third place with Ririn Krisnasari S., Sulhadrah and Tri Wulan Mei S. from South Sulawesi.
The final event of the day was the women's under-60-kilogram event, in which Central Java's Puspita Triana Gustin defeated Meilina from South Sumatra.
Semifinalists Tantri Widya Sari from North Sumatera and Puspa Meonk from Jakarta won bronze.
