SPORTS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2014

Kazakhs lords of the ring with six golds

INCHEON: Kazakhstan packed a huge punch and became the new boxing power in Asia by sweeping six of the 10 gold medals on offer at the Games yesterday. Ilyas Suleimenov (fly- weight), Daniyar Yeleussinov (welter), Zhanibek Alimkhanuly (middle), Adilbek Niyazymbetov (light heavy), Anton Pinchuk (heavy) and Ivan Dychko (super heavy) completed the roll of honor on a historic afternoon for the central Asian republic at Seonhak Gymnasium.”To think we have six gold medals, one sil- ver and one bronze at the end of this great celebration of boxing is really unbelievable,” superheavyweight Dychko told reporters. “You have to understand that no bout was easy for any of our boxers and it only down to the great preparation by our coaches and our own hard work we were able to achieve this,” he added. “I only got the silver four years ago so this is a special moment for me.” Of Kazakhstan’s seven finalists only Birzhan Zhakypov (light fly) was beaten, by ’s Shin Jong-Hun as the hosts got off to a flying start by winning the first gold medal of the day. Bantamweight Ham Sang-Myeong gave South Korea another gold but from then on it was one-way traffic with Kazakhs win- ning six of the final seven weight divisions. Suleimenov began the gold rush by winning the flyweight title on a split decision against Shakhobidin Zoirov of Uzbekistan, who was unlucky not to get the nod from judges in a close-fought battle. Welterweight world champion Yeleussinov utterly outclassed Israil Madrimov of Uzbekistan on points in the welterweight final. He was followed into the ring by Alimkhanuly who completely demolished Odai Riyad Adel Alhindawi. He knocked the Jordanian down in the final round to win by an overwhelming 30-26 on three judges’ cards. South Korea went into the final day with four gold medal hopes and a string of controversial wins behind them. —AFP Afghan dream over as Lanka win cricket gold INCHEON: Sri Lanka crushed Afghanistan by 68 runs to win the gold medal in the men’s Twenty20 cricket event at the yes- terday. Unlike the previous day, when Sri Lanka won a coin toss to get into the gold medal match after their semi-final with Bangladesh INCHEON: ’s Yang Jian competes in the final of the men’s 10m platform diving event during the 17th Asian Games was washed out, luck played no part in the final. With a strong squad at the Munhak Aquatics Center yesterday. — AFP featuring three members of the team that won this year’s Twenty20 World Cup, Sri Lanka were too experienced and streetwise for their Afghan opponents. Although they struggled with the bat, losing China sweep diving medals their last nine wickets for just 54 runs to be dismissed for 133 in their last over, Sri Lanka’s bowlers had no problems on a lively pitch. They ripped through the opposition batting lineup in less than 18 overs, as China gold medalist fails dope test Afghanistan crumbled to be all out for just 65. Afghanistan made a bright start, reaching 20 without loss, before the wheels suddenly fell off. Opener Najeeb Tarakai top scored with 17 but only two others INCHEON: China’s crack divers are as formidable a force as any team in gold as team-mate Wang Zheng came second ahead of India’s Bala made double figures. world sport. A dynasty of super athletes with acrobatic skills and nerves Manju and of . Zenarol, which is banned by the World Sri Lanka captain Lahiru Thirimanne top scored for his team with of steel, they dominate the Olympics and world championships and Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), is widely used to fatten livestock. Athletes 57 off just 37 balls, hitting seven boundaries and one towering six, as rarely ever lose. At the Asian Games, their record is perfect. In the 40 are known to take it illegally for its muscle-building properties. The his country captured its first gold medal at the Asian Games, in any years since the region’s multi-sports competition in 1974, China has nev- Chinese Olympic Committee (COC) said it accepted the expulsion of sport, since 2002. “This is a great feeling, because this is our first gold er lost a diving event-an unbeaten streak stretching 40 years. They did it , but stressed that deliberate doping had not been proved. “The medal since 2002,” said Thirimanne. “These type of tournaments are again at the current Asian Games, which end in Incheon today, sweep- athlete may dope deliberately, but there also remains the possibility good for our young emerging players. This will be a good platform ing all of the 10 diving events. that the positive reading was due to her consumption of contaminated for them. “I think we’ll win gold in the next Asian Games as well.” The The last two events were held yesterday. China not only won both meat,” the Chinese Olympic Committee (COC) said in a statement quot- pick of the Afghanistan bowlers was their captain Mohammad Nabi, golds, they also won both silvers. Qiu Bo won the men’s 10-metre plat- ed by the state Xinhua news agency. “Whatever the cause is, we respect who took four wickets for 18 runs with his off-spinners. Like many of form title ahead of his team mate Yang Jian. “I’m very happy with the OCA’s decision regarding Zhang’s case, because the World Anti- his team mates, Nabi was born in a refugee camp in neighboring today’s performance,” said Qiu, who suffered a surprise loss at the 2012 Doping Code stipulates that athletes must bear the subsequences for Pakistan during the occupation by the Soviet Union in the 1980s. Olympics and had to settle for the silver medal. “Although I made some the substance found in his or her body,” it added. China says it has It was in those camps that many of the Afghan players first learnt mistakes in the first and fourth round, my condition today was very launched a major campaign against doping in sport since a number of the game of cricket. When they returned home in the 1990s, they good.” He Zi successfully defended the Asian Games title she won four high=profile cases in the 1990s involving swimmers and athletes. Eleven took the game with them and set up a national team that has been years ago in the women’s 3-metre springboard. The Olympic champi- Chinese competitors were caught doping at the 1994 Hiroshima Asian slowly but steadily improving. Four years ago, Afghanistan took the on’s team mate Wang Han finished second. Games. Before the 1998 world swimming championships in Australia, silver at the last Asian Games, confirming their emergence in a sport He sealed her win with a flawless two-and-a-half somersault that customs caught a Chinese swimmer attempting to bring in a suitcase the country only embraced through war. They have played in each of impressed the judges but not her, such are the expectations China’s full of human growth hormone. Four Chinese swimmers were disquali- the last three Twenty20 World Cups and have qualified for the first divers place on themselves. “There are still parts of my performance that fied at the event for failing drug tests. time for the 50-over World Cup, to be played in Australia and New didn’t meet my expectations,” she said. “I will try harder in my training.” Zealand in early 2015. Last year, the International Cricket Council for- “I think pressure can work both ways. It can be my strength or become a China’s ‘zero tolerance’ mally recognised their improvement by granting Afghanistan associ- source of stress. It depends on how you see it.” Over the past 15 years more than 10 Chinese athletes, including ate member status. some Olympic athletes, weightlifters and swimmers, have failed tests. Gold medalist fails dope test But the COC said that more than 10,000 drug tests a year have been No regrets Asian Games chiefs yesterday expelled China’s gold medal-winning carried out on Chinese athletes over the past decade with a failure rate Had they won the gold, Afghanistan’s players would have been women’s hammer thrower in the biggest doping case of of just 0.02 percent. It says this is one of the lowest rates in the world. rewarded with a brand new car but Nabi said they had no regrets the giant event. The Olympic Council of Asia said 28-year-old Zhang, China this month pledged one million dollars to an international fund about finishing second. “This is a good sign for us, another silver who won a bronze medal at the 2007 world championships and 2008 being set up by WADA to improve research into doping. WADA presi- medal is good,” Nabi said. “This is a young team so we’re really happy Olympics, had tested positive for the anabolic agent zeranol. dent Craig Reedie and IOC president Thomas Bach thanked for to take the silver medal. “We started really well with our bowling but “The competitor has been disqualified from the competition as well the gesture. Reedie said China had made “strong demonstrations of our batting let us down. Sri Lanka bowled very well. “But this was a as these Games,” said an OCA statement, which added that the gold support in the protection of the rights of clean athletes. China has led really good preparation for the World Cup. Things are going well and medal had been withdrawn. Zhang is the sixth athlete to be kicked out the way and set an example for other national governments to fol- hopefully we can take something from this.” Bangladesh, gold of the Games in Incheon, South Korea for doping and the second gold low.” China’s Vice Premier Liu Yandong said at the time that the gov- medalists four years ago, gained some consolation for their coin toss medal-winner after Malaysia’s wushu champion Tai Cheau Xuen. Zhang ernment “is continuously committed to the fight against doping in defeat to Sri Lanka by clinching the bronze with a 27-run victory over hurled an Asian Games record 77.33 meters to win her third straight sport, and the promotion of clean sport and upholding a ‘zero toler- in the third-place playoff. —Reuters Asiad gold on Sunday. Despite her disqualification, China will keep the ance’ of doping.” —Agencies