Monday, November 29, 2010

Kuwaiti official lauds Karate achievement in Guangzhou

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, EGYPT - JANUARY 5: In this ha...Image by Getty Images via @daylife
GUANGZHOU, China, Nov 27, (KUNA): A senior sports official praised the authorities for successfully hosting the 16th Asian games. Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, speaking in his capacity as the Chairman of the Asian Olympic Federation, said Guangzhou presented Asia and the world with one of the most successful sports tournaments on record, with better and greater organization and performance than those witnessed in the Beijing games. “Guangzhou succeeded in promoting itself as an advanced city and was honored at the regional level for organizing the best Asian sports tournament throughout the history of the competitions,” said Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad, Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Minister of State for Development Affairs and Minister of State for Housing Affairs, during a meeting with the deputy chairman of the International Sports Federation and the Asian federation, Faisal Al-Ginaee, members of the Kuwaiti media delegation that took part in the convention of the Asian Sports Press Union (ASPU) and a number of Arab journalists, held at his residence in the Chinese city.

The Korean city of Incheon, due to host the games in four years, has sufficient potentials, culture and expertise that would enable it organize “Asian games that would be equally wonderful compared with those hosted by Guangzhou,” Sheikh Ahmad added.
Elaborating, Sheikh Ahmad expressed satisfaction at the course of development the sports activities in the Asian continent over the past two decades.
Guanzhou would reclaim USD 900 million, spent for the construction of an integrated sports infrastructure. “It has made earnings for hosting the games and will make other profits at various levels,” he said.

The number of Asian cities that are qualified to host such games do not exceed 15.
Sheikh Ahmad shed some light on the achievements that have been done by the Asian federation since he assumed the top post, indicating at a series of plans intended for the promotion of sports in the continent.
Furthermore, he praised the Qatari sports authorities for the successful hosting of the 15th tournament in 2006.
Kuwaiti Karate team did well in the Asian Games contributing three medals to Kuwait’s total of 11 medals during the games, said an official here Saturday.
Secretary of the Kuwaiti Karate Federation Khalaf Al-Sai’di told KUNA that three out of four Kuwaiti Karatekas managed to leave their print on the competitions, lauding the goal medal won by Ahmad Al-Nuwaim.
He also commended the efforts by Abdullah Al-Otaibi, Yousif Al-Harbi, and Ahmad Munir, saying that they all exemplified true fighting spirit.

The official also thanked all individuals and groups which contributed to the Kuwaiti Karate achievements, saying their efforts and support had led to the fruitful results.
His Highness Crown Prince Sheikh Nawwaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah sent Friday a cable of congratulations to Kuwait Karate Federation President Sheikh Khalid Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah in which he expressed his utmost delight for the medals clinched by Kuwaiti players in the 16th Asian Games.
HH the Crown Prince expressed in the cable his congratulations to the team winning a gold medal through Hamad Al-Nuwaiem in the under 75-kg competition as well as the silver medal won by Abdullah Al-Otaibi in the solo kata competition.
Further, HH the Crown Prince hailed the sportsmanship that players showed as well as their outstanding performance, asserting that this win did not come out of void, but was based on the relentless efforts made by officials in the Kuwait Karate Federation in order to push up the technical levels of players to a new high.
Moreover, HH the Crown Prince called on all concerned sports bodies in Kuwait to do their best in order to scale up the standings in all sports gatherings and to keep the flag of Kuwait always fluttering high under the patronage of the leader of Kuwait’s current progress HH the Amir.

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Lin Dan voted Asian Games MVP ( MOST VALUABLE PLAYER )

Lin DanImage via Wikipedia
GUANGZHOU: Chinese shuttler Lin Dan was voted most valuable player on Friday, the penultimate day of the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.
The MVP award was held by the Guangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee (GAGOC) and recognized by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). The winner was selected from Nov. 22-25 by more than 2,000 accredited media staff at the Main Press Center in Guangzhou.
The four finalists were hurdlers Liu Xiang, swimmers Sun Yang and Tang Yi, all from China, and the only non-Chinese, South Korean swimmer Park Tae-hwan.
At the award ceremony on Friday, deputy secretary-general of the Chinese Olympic Committee Liu Baoli received the award, consisting of the MVP trophy, a Samsung television and US$50,000, on behalf of Lin, who is in close-door training for the China Open.
“We are very delighted to give this trophy to Lin Dan, taking his excellent performance into consideration during the Asian Games,” Manuel Silverio, chairman of the OCA media committee, said.
“He is tenacious, strong-minded and determined to pursue sportsmanship and has presented perfect performance as an athlete.”
His two gold medals at the Games add to his world-class badminton glory, which already includes the 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medal and four world championships, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009. — JP
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Indonesia places 15th overall in the Asian Games

Indonesia places 15th overall in the Asian Games in Guangzhou, bitterly, behind Malaysia but triumphantly ahead of Singapore, just.

Asiad, the Asian Games, was held from November 12th-27th in Guangzhou and nearby cities in China with 45 countries participating, 9,700 odd athletes, 42 sports and 476 individual events.
The host nation predictably dominated the medals tally, with 199 gold medals, over 100 golds clear of second placed Korea.
Plucky Indonesia came in at 15th place in the gold medal tally, with these wins:
  • Badminton: Men's Doubles
  • Dragon Boat: Men's 1000m Straight Race
  • Dragon Boat: Men's 500m Straight Race
  • Dragon Boat: Men's 250m Straight Race
And nine silver and thirteen bronze, for a total of 26, putting the country in 14th place in the overall medal count. See the full list of Indonesian medalists.


The full list of countries which the vagaries of world geography have thrown improbably together, and the results with gold medal tallies in brackets:
  1. China (199)
  2. Korea (76)
  3. Japan (48)
  4. Iran (20)
  5. Kazakhstan (18)
  6. India (14)
  7. Chinese Taipei (13)
  8. Uzbekistan (11)
  9. Thailand (11)
  10. Malaysia (9)
  11. Hong Kong (8)
  12. DPR Korea (6)
  13. Saudi Arabia (5)
  14. Bahrain (5)
  15. Indonesia (4)
  16. Singapore (4)
  17. Athletes from Kuwait (4)
  18. Qatar (4)
  19. Philippines (3)
  20. Pakistan (3)
  21. Mongolia (2)
  22. Burma (2)
  23. Jordan (2)
  24. VietNam (1)
  25. Kyrgyzstan (1)
  26. Macao (1)
  27. Bangladesh (1)
  28. Tajikistan (1)
  29. Syria (1)
  30. United Arab Emirates
  31. Afghanistan
  32. Iraq
  33. Lebanon
  34. Laos
  35. Nepal
  36. Oman
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Asian Games 2010: Performance of countries in the field of games and sports reveals some interesting facts.

Asian Games 2010 China Asian Games 2010 China
The Asian games 2010 ended in Chinese city of Guangzhou today 27 November 2010. A fantastic colorful ceremony marked the closure of this historic event. As expected the host country, China bagged maximum number of medals and secured 1st position, followed by South Korea and Japan.
Asian Games 2010 China Asian Games 2010 China
Tally of the Medals Won by the participants
The detailed results showing the gold, silver and bronze medals won by the participating teams is given below:
Position Country Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 China 199 119 98 416
2 South Korea 76 65 91 232
3 Japan 48 74 94 216
4 Iran 20 14 25 59
5 Kazakhstan 18 23 38 79
6 India 14 17 33 64
7 Chinese Taipei 13 16 38 67
8 Uzbekistan 11 22 23 56
9 Thailand 11 9 32 52
10 Malaysia 9 18 13 40
11 Hong Kong 8 15 17 40
12 North Korea 6 10 20 36
13 Saudi Arabia 5 3 5 13
14 Bahrain 5 0 4 9
15 Indonesia 4 9 13 26
16 Singapore 4 7 6 17
17 Kuwait 4 6 1 11
18 Qatar 4 5 7 16
19 Philippines 3 4 9 16
20 Pakistan 3 2 3 8
21 Mongolia 2 5 9 16
22 Myanmar 2 5 3 10
23 Jordan 2 2 2 6
24 Vietnam 1 17 15 33
25 Kyrgyzstan 1 2 2 5
26 Macau 1 1 5 7
27 Bangladesh 1 1 1 3
28 Tajikistan 1 0 3 4
29 Syria 1 0 1 2
30 United Arab Emirates 0 4 1 5
31 Afghanistan 0 2 1 3
32 Iraq 0 1 2 3
33 Lebanon 0 1 2 3
34 Laos 0 0 2 2
35 Nepal 0 0 1 1
36 Oman 0 0 1 1
37 Bhutan 0 0 0 0
38 Brunei 0 0 0 0
39 Cambodia 0 0 0 0
40 Maldives 0 0 0 0
41 Palestine 0 0 0 0
42 Sri Lanka 0 0 0 0
43 Timor-Leste 0 0 0 0
44 Turkmenistan 0 0 0 0
45 Yemen 0 0 0 0

TOTAL 477 479 621 1577
Asian Games 2010 China Asian Games 2010 China
Some Interesting facts
The analysis of performance of various countries in the Asian Games has revealed some interesting facts. This proves to a great extent that peace, prosperity and entertainment go side by side. Let us have a look at the conclusions drawn:
Asian Games 2010 China
Indian Tennis Star Sania Mirza
The Countries having sound economy perform well in sports
The world economic powers like China, South Korea and Japan are at the top of the rank in games. The emerging economic powers like India, Thailand and Malaysia have performed very well. The economically weak countries like  Bangladesh, Nepal, Laos are behind in the field of sports also.
Asian Games 2010 China
Pakistan clenched Gold Medal in Hockey
The Countries that have better rank in terms of Global Peace Index (GPI) have also performed well in sports
The examples are Japan, Malaysia and Chinese Taipei. The war-torn countries like Afghanistan and Iraq are much behind in the sports. The countries that have faced insurgency and war on terror like Sri Lanka and Pakistan have also performed inadequately.
Asian Games 2010 China Asian Games 2010 China
The Countries with high national spirit and cohesion are ahead in the field of sports also
The glaring examples are Iran and China. Iran has emerged as a formidable participant that clenched 4th position in the list.
My Opinion

Sports are a very effective instrument to promote peace and regional stability. Moreover the performance in sports serves a valuable indicator of a nation’s behavior, attitude and future prospects.
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Saturday, November 27, 2010

Indian flavour in Asian Games closing ceremony

Indian film dances usually follow filmi songs.Image via Wikipedia
GUANGZHOU: The closing ceremony of 16th Asian Games had a pinch of Indian flavour.

The ceremony celebrated the diverse Asian cultures of India, Lebanon, Japan, Kazakhstan and Mongolia through music and dance.

At the start of the dazzling ceremony, there was a section representing the cultures of different regions of the continent. Indian singers Ravi Tripathi, who hails from Lucknow, and Tanya Gupta, from Jammu and Kashmir, performed in this section.

Gupta and her grand Bollywood troupe of locally-trained Chinese dancers performed clad in Ghagra.

The sail-shaped screen displayed images of Ganges, the holy Indian river, various temples, the iconic Taj Mahal and modern architecture.

Dancers led by Cai Yushan and Xi Chuhang performed to the singing of Tripathi and Gupta. There were also motorcycle stunts done in front of the Games Torch Tower.


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Closing Ceremony - Asian Games 2010


Closing Ceremony 2010 President of the 2014 Incheon Asian Games Organizing Committee Dr. Lee Yun Taek waves the flag of the Olympic Council of Asia during a handover at the closing ceremony of the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou.


Closing Ceremony 2010 President of the 2014 Incheon Asian Games Organizing Committee Dr. Lee, Yun Taek waves the Asian Games flag during the closing ceremony of the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou.

Closing Ceremony 2010  


Closing Ceremony 2010 Athletes march into the arena during the closing ceremony of the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou.

Closing Ceremony 2010  


Closing Ceremony 2010 Dancers perform during the closing ceremony of the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou.



Closing Ceremony 2010 Dancers perform during the closing ceremony of the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou.



Closing Ceremony 2010 Fireworks explode during the closing ceremony of the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou.

Closing Ceremony 2010 Fireworks explode over the stage to begin the closing ceremony for the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou.



Closing Ceremony 2010 The Chinese national flag is raised during the closing ceremony of the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou.


Closing Ceremony 2010 Dancers perform prior to the start of the closing ceremony of the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou.


Closing Ceremony 2010 Dancers perform before the closing ceremony of the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou.


Closing Ceremony 2010 Dancers perform before the closing ceremony of the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou.



Closing Ceremony 2010 Dancers perform prior to the start of the closing ceremony at the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou.



Closing Ceremony 2010 Dancers perform prior to the start of the closing ceremony at the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou.








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Indian hockey stars return from Asian Games with bronze

Logo of Olympic Council of AsiaImage via Wikipedia
The Indian hockey team arrived in New Delhi on Friday after bagging a bronze medal in the XVIth Asian Games being held in Guangzhou, China.
The women's hockey team, which failed to get a medal at the event, also arrived on Friday.
The Indian men's hockey team defeated four time Asian Games champion South Korea 1-0 and won a bronze. The team lost to Malaysia in the semi-finals.
Skipper Rajpal Singh expressed satisfaction with the team result.
"We went to win the tournament because the team was in full rhythm, but due to one unlucky match we could not qualify for the final. But the overall performance of the team was very good, so we are happy," said Singh.
India's performance in the Asian Games has given the country hope about achieving a good medal haul at the London Olympics in 2012. (ANI)

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Boxer, bowler, hustler stand tall for Philippines in 16th Asian Games

Boxer Rey Saludar (in photo), bowler Biboy Rivera, and billiards player Dennis Orcollo provided the Philippines’ brightest moments in the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. (Photo by BOB DUNGO, JR.)
Boxer Rey Saludar (in photo), bowler Biboy Rivera, and billiards player Dennis Orcollo provided the Philippines’ brightest moments in the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. (Photo by BOB DUNGO, JR.)
GUANGZHOU — The Yuppie, the Hustler and the Fighter.
Three athletes of varied backgrounds carried the day for the Philippines in the 16th Asian Games, the biggest sporting event in the region that drew lukewarm interest at home.
The 188-strong national contingent set off early this month to improve on its performance four years ago in Doha, Qatar amid growing excitement over Manny Pacquiao’s fight with Mexican Antonio Margarito in Dallas, Texas.
After Pacquiao pummelled Margarito for his eighth world title, the nation was busy celebrating, the Asiad looked like a mere footnote.
There was little to expect from the delegation anyway.
Despite the rigid selection criteria that were agreed upon, many athletes still made the team through sheer patronage and strong pressures from influential national sports associations.
Of the 188, only 20 will come home with medals, including five members of the men’s chess team that won the silver.
Three athletes stood out from the pack: Bowler Engelberto Rivera Jr., pool moneyman Dennis Orcollo and boxer Rey Saludar.
Rivera, fondly known by his nickname Biboy, won the country’s first gold medal at the start of the men’s singles competition.
The 36-year-old entrepreneur, a look-alike of the late “Superman” Christopher Reeves, rolled the best six-game series in the morning and waited anxiously in the players’ lounge as the second wave of participants tried to top it in the afternoon.
They all failed, including compatriot Frederick Ong who had a shot at the silver before settling for the bronze.
Nothing was heard of Filipino bowlers after that as South Korea went on to dominate the sport, taking eight gold medals, including a sweep of the Masters and the team events.
It took three days before the Philippines earned its second gold courtesy of Dennis Orcollo, son of a fisherman from Surigao who plays billiards for a living.
Orcollo, 31, complained of sitting idly for five days while waiting for his event to start. He’s one guy used to the thick smell of cigarette smoke while collecting other people’s money off the pool table every night in Manila.
When Orcollo finally got into action, the restlessness subsided and he went on to do what he does best – sinking the 9-ball.
His 9-7 win over teammate Warren Kiamco in the men’s 9-ball pool singles final is further proof that Filipinos remain on top of the food chain.
But the gap is closing following the shock early departure of pool icon Efren “Bata” Reyes in the men’s 8-ball pool singles and the failure of Rubilen Amit to reach the medal round in both the women’s 8-ball and 9-ball events.
Meanwhile, the six-man boxing team fought its way through the preliminaries and sent three fighters into the semifinals, but only Rey Saludar won the gold medal against a neophyte Chinese boxer with a chin made of granite.
Not willing to suffer the same fate that befell Annie Albania in the finals, Saludar rose from his stool in the second round and made sure that the ring judges would not deny him of victory. The 13-11 score did not truly reflect the damage Saludar inflicted to his game, but outclassed opponent.
Saludar is the older brother of Victorio, a bronze medallist. They were raised in Polomolok, South Cotabato by a father who worked in a pineapple plantation.
On neutral ground, Albania would have won the boring slugfest over the tall and rangy Chinese champion Ren Cancan.
Still, Albania looked impressive, timing her punches well while avoiding her opponent’s long reach.
The judges, however, were not impressed and were only too willing to press the button each time Cancan’s glove touched any part of the Filipino’s body.
“Even low blows were scored,” rued a veteran Filipino sportswriter.
Never mind. All three boxing medallists will be laughing their way to the bank when they reach home, billionaire sportsman Manny V. Pangilinan made sure of that.
Rey Saludar will receive P3 million for winning the gold, Albania will get P1 million while Victorio Saludar P500,000.
There were two silvers that shone like gold because they came unexpectedly.
Golfer Miguel Tabuena, who turned 16 only last month, became the country’s youngest Asiad medallist when he finished second in the men’s individual event. He actually led for two days before falling prey to a red-hot Korean who went eight-under in the last 36 holes.
The men’s chess team, led by Grandmasters Eugene Torre and Wesley So, beat powerhouse India twice before losing to top seed China in the final.
GM Joey Antonio, who played a key role in the team’s semifinal win over India, had to rush home for emergency surgical procedure and was unable to play in the final.
Despite the lopsided final loss, the team, also made up of John Paul Gomez and Darwin Laylo, comes home with a big accomplishment.
Among the numerous defeats suffered by the Filipinos, none brought more pain than the sixth place finish of the basketball squad and the shock failure of Asian champion Marestella Torres to win a medal in the women’s long jump.
Smart Gilas, a team formed to bring the Philippines back to Olympic basketball, was eliminated in the quarterfinals by old nemesis South Korea, 74-66.
Another defeat to Qatar, 71-61, Friday sent the Nationals to sixth place, matching their worst finish in 1966. Except in 2006 where the Philippines was under FIBA suspension, the national team had qualified in all semifinal round.
Torres, fresh from a six-month training in Germany, inexplicably failed to make a legal jump in the last five rounds of women’s long jump and ended up fourth in the event she was favored to dominate. She left home without a word, her future still uncertain.
Taekwondo would have to wait for the next Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea for another shot at the gold medal.
Tshomlee Go and Japoy Lizardo lost to Korean rivals in the semifinals and settled for the bronze medals along with Paul Romero and Kirstie Alaine Alora.
Dance sports, which made its Asiad debut, produced two bronzes courtesy of Ronnie Vergara and Charlea Lagaras who are engaged to marry next year.Decision Points
Wushu struck through sanshou fighter Mark Eddiva who lost in the semifinals to settle for the bronze medal.
The over-rated swimming team could not even send qualifiers to the evening finals except for Miguel Molina and its relay squads, extending its medal drought to 28 years.
The final count is: Three golds, four silvers and nine bronzes.The Gift
It’s worse than what the Nationals achieved in Doha, Qatar in 2006 (4-6-9) and in Busan, South Korea in 2002 (3-7-16).
If there’s one positive that could be derived from Guangzhou is the realization that it takes more than talent and hard work to contend in the Asian Games.
The Philippines has another four years to figure out the rest of the ingredients.
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Asian Games End With Record China Haul

Decision PointsGUANGZHOU, China—China wrapped up the Asian Games with a record 199 gold medals, more than double its nearest rival, but team leaders won't relax preparations for the 2012 London Olympics.
The Chinese appear driven to repeat their performance from Beijing two years ago, when they topped the gold medal count for the very first time at the Olympics.
China faced little resistance at the Asian Games, widely seen as an Olympic warm-up event, winning so many golds that the result sometimes just seemed like a foregone conclusion.

agames1127
At a wrap up news conference Saturday, Chinese delegation chief Duan Shijie rattled off a list of gold medal sweeps: diving, table tennis, basketball, beach volleyball, canoe and kayak. All the golds in women's boxing, which is making its debut in London. Also top finishes in women's gymnastics, handball and water polo. He didn't mention the 10-gold sweep in the non-Olympic dance sport event.
China blew away the competition, capping it off by rallying from two sets down to beat South Korea in the women's volleyball final—the last event on the program.
South Korea was second in the medal standings and trailed far behind with 76 gold. Japan didn't even reach 50 this time.
Mr. Duan pledged his delegation will be ``sober in confronting the realities'' for London.
``Just because we have been successful at the Asian Games doesn't mean we are bound to be successful again at the London Olympic games,'' he said.
Mr. Duan pointed out that many Chinese athletes still lag behind top international competition, with their success in Guangzhou strongly linked to the easier regional competition. Another troubling issue was a weaker showing in some sports that China has traditionally dominated at the continental games, such as weightlifting, archery and wrestling, delegation secretary-general Cai Jiadong said.
``If we look at the prospects of our performance for the Olympic Games we are not that optimistic,'' Mr. Cai said, repeating the modest assessment that Chinese officials typically give ahead of the event.
The Chinese officials brushed off criticism that one country's domination at such sporting events was bad for competition.
``Every delegation participated at these games to obtain the best possible result,'' Mr. Cai said. ``Even though we were top of the medal tally, it doesn't mean we have a monopoly.''
``We hope we set a good example, we hope that the attention and support from the Chinese government and the Chinese people can be some sort of reference for some other countries and their people,'' he added.
China's domination has even attracted criticism in state media, which normally hews closely to the ruling Communist Party's line. Xinhua News Agency reporter Yang Ming wrote in a commentary that the government should be focused not on developing elite athletes, but promoting fitness among ordinary people to combat the country's growing problems with obesity and related health issues.
Some have speculated that Guangzhou's hosting of the Asian Games was part of an effort to bring the Olympics to the southern Chinese city. Beijing hosted the Asian Games in 1990 before holding the Olympics in 2008.
Mr. Cai said there were ``no plans at the moment'' to bring the Olympics to Guangzhou.
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Friday, November 26, 2010

(Video) New Swimwear at The Asian Games Causing Quite A Stir. Oh My, I Wonder why?



November 26, 2010,GUANGZHOU, China]----Singapore's male water polo team, unveiled their new swim-trunks at the Asian Games but not everyone is cheering.

The Singapore government finds the new red and white briefs. with that country's flag's white crescent moon 'strategically placed,' offensive, calling them "disgraceful and nauseating."

The team said it was not their intention to offend anyone and was just simply showing their solidarity and love for their country.

What do you think ladies gents? Offensive or patriotic? Men, would you sport this new look at the pool or beach?
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Asian Games: Taiwan skater reveals cancer battle



GUANGZHOU, China: Taiwan's Chen Li-hsin clinched an Asian Games roller sports silver medal on Friday and then revealed he had been diagnosed with cancer on the eve of the event.

The 27-year-old, who teamed up with Weng Tzu-hsia in the pairs skating final, will now head home for surgery.

"I learned about the cancer during a medical check before the Asian Games and thanks to the Games I learned about this fact," said Chen.

"I need an operation but will have it after this event. My mum told me I should think about cancer in a positive way. I always think that I must take part in events even when my physical condition is bad.

"I will fight until the end of my life."

Chen's revelation comes a day after Japanese freestyle wrestler Hiroyuki Oda said he had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer this summer.

The feisty 22-year-old had a tumour and his thyroid gland removed.

- AFP/de
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Officials ‘Satisfied’ With Indonesia's Asian Games Showing

Kido/Hendra vs Hendra/HendriImage by TeHa' via Flickr
Guangzhou, China. After bittersweet results in badminton, a surprise showing in dragon boat racing and near misses in a number of the country’s strongest events, the chief of Indonesia’s team said he was “satisfied” with the results of the Asian Games.

Indonesia remained at 13th place overall in the medal table with four golds, nine silvers and 13 bronzes. That is a major improvement on the country’s performance at the 2006 Games in Qatar, where it had a 2-4-14 medal haul.

The 13th bronze came on Friday, after the sepak takraw (foot volleyball) pair of Husni Uba and Yudi Purnomo lost 2-0 to Lee Gyu-nam and Lee Jun-ho of South Korea in the men’s doubles semifinal.

Indonesia has a shot at winning two more medals on Saturday, the last day of competition, as Yahuza and Hong Kong Marathon winner Triyaningsih run in the men’s and women’s marathons, respectively.

The country’s biggest reason to celebrate came from the dragon boat team. The men’s squad swept the 250-meter, 500m and 1,000m races to end up in the history books by becoming the first Indonesian group or individual to win three gold medals in one Asiad.

The achievement was even more remarkable because the National Sports Committee did not initially see the team as having medal potential and hesitated at the cost of sending the 22 men’s rowers to China.

Gold medal expectations rested mostly with the badminton team, and yet the shuttlers were staring at a shutout until Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan won the men’s doubles. Taufik Hidayat was considered a shoo-in, but the two-time defending champion was felled in the quarterfinals.

Indonesia could easily have had a higher tally of golds if not for some disappointing results in key events.

There were athletes who “performed below par,” said Tono Suratman, Indonesia’s chef de mission. “Several failed to meet the target we had set for them, but others stepped up to fill the void.”

“But the most important thing is everyone did their best. We met our gold expectations, and we’ve done better than in Doha 2006. We’re satisfied with that.”

The women’s bowling team, with three of Asia’s top five competitors, managed only a silver, while the weightlifters couldn’t replicate their Olympic success.
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Asian Games ends tonight with ceremony

XVII Asian GamesImage via Wikipedia
Guangzhou : After two weeks of intense competition, China will bring down the curtains on the 16th Asian Games with a well-planned closing ceremony here tonight.
Performances at tonight's closing function at the Haixinsha Square on the Pearl River — the same site as the opening ceremony on November 12 — are scheduled to commence at 8.06 pm (4.06 pm UAE) and conclude after about three hours with the official hand-over of the flag to 2014 Asian Games organisers Incheon, South Korea.
Tickets for the closing ceremony have been priced between 2,000 to 8,000 Yuan (approx. Dhs1,000 to 4,000).
Famous pop singer Rain will be performing.
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