Games best for China as Bangladesh win cricket

by Martin Parry

ASIAD: GUANGZHOU, China, Nov 27 (AFP) - Powerhouse China made Guangzhou its most successful Asian Games ever on Friday as Bangladesh beat Afghanistan to win not just the cricket but their first gold medal in Asiad history.

When Feng Lanlan clinched the women's 68kg karate title it pushed China's total golds to 184, shattering their previous best at the Beijing Asiad in 1990, a tally no other country has reached since the Games began in 1951

Guangzhou had already become their most dominant in terms of total medals when they marched past the 341 set in 1990.

On the 14th and penultimate day of action, the hosts stretched their gold haul to 197 as they build-up to an assault on the United States at the London Olympics in 2012.

Their biggest success came when veteran centre Wang Zhizhi blocked a shot and scored on an offensive rebound in the waning seconds to help China beat South Korea 77-71 and retain their basketball title.

Wang's late game heroics ended a three point barrage by the South Koreans who had closed a 12-point gap in the last four minutes to 71-74 with 30 seconds left.

The host nation also completed a clean-sweep of all 10 diving gold medals, reinforcing their total control of the sport, with He Zi winning the women's 3m springboard and Cao Yuan taking the men's 10m platform.

China wasn't the only country celebrating with Bangladesh sneaking past Afghanistan by five wickets with just three balls to spare in a thrilling finale to the first-ever Asian Games cricket final.

Bangladesh restricted Afghanistan to 118-8 and endured some anxious moments before Mohammad Shabbir hit two huge sixes to guide his country to their first gold medal in the seven Asian Games they have attended. "We are celebrating, but I hope Afghanistan will celebrate too because they deserve the silver medal," said Bangladesh coach Imran Sarwar.

"They are a very good side and I am sure they will become a top team in the near future. Their rise has been remarkable." Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by six wickets for the bronze and promptly took a shot at arch-rivals India, who refused to send a team citing international obligations."India said they would come and they said cricket should be in the Asian Games. God knows why they are not here. Somebody should have put added pressure on them," said Pakistan coach Sadiq Mohammad. Other title showdowns saw India win the men's and women's kabaddi golds while China's women defeated Japan in the handball decider with South Korea taking the men's honours.

On the final day of athletics, Bahrain's Ethiopian-born Mimi Gebregeiorges won the women's 5,000m ahead of Indian pair Preeja Sreedharan and Kavita Raut.

"I just killed myself to win," she said after adding the title to her 1,500m bronze.

Bahrain's Bilisuma Shugi Gelassa, another Ethiopian, clinched the men's 10,000m after a late burst of speed in the final 30m saw him pip Qatar's Kenyan-born Essa Rashed at the line.

China won the men's 4x100m relay and Thailand unexpectedly took the women's title, while another Chinese, Li Yanxi, leapt furthest to win the men's triple jump and Uzbekistan's Svetlana Radzivil claimed high jump honours. In the boxing ring, Syria's Mohammad Ghossoun strolled to the heavyweight title while Indian golden boy Vijender Singh took the middleweight crown.

Meanwhile, lightning-quick reigning Olympic champion Zou Shiming of China successfully defended his light-flyweight gold and Thailand's Worapoj Petchkoom became bantamweight champion.