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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2014 SPORTS

African-born athletes ‘unfair’ Photo of the day

INCHEON: Asian competitors are becom- South Korean Kim Kuk-Young suggested ing increasingly desperate over African- that the foreign influx would lead Asian born athletes running for wealthy Gulf runners to lose hope. “My time isn’t really states who have dominated the Asian competitive against the African athletes,” Games track golds for the third contest in a he sighed. row. “I think it’s unfair because they are taller ‘GREATER CAPACITY TO RUN’ and have a longer stride,” men’s 100 metre The ranks of the world’s top long and silver medallist told AFP. “They middle distance runners have long been are more powerful and athletic. Physically stuffed with Kenyans, Ethiopians and we are at a disadvantage.” Moroccans, and competition to get into Su lost to ’s Femi Ogunode, born in their national teams is fierce. , who smashed ’s men’s 100 This has led to many budding young metres record on Sunday with a 9.93sec athletes turning to the opportunities, time. Japanese and South Korean sprinters income and facilities offered by the likes of added their voice to the protests, while Qatar and . Asian sport leaders appear divided over the ’s Kim Yong-Gu, who nar- foreign influx. rowly missed out on qualifying for the Competitors originally from Africa have men’s 1,500m final, said the difference swept to five gold medals in seven races in between himself and runners from Africa the first two days of the ath- was plain to see. letics, blowing away their native Asian “I felt during my race that there was a competitors. gap between them and the Asian competi- Foreign imports, mainly representing tors. They seem to have a greater capacity Bahrain and Qatar, have continued a domi- to run,” he told AFP. nance in track events which stretches back Kim added that he hoped the Asian to the 2006 Games, when Kenya-born Games would get back to “what it was like runners won the men’s 800m, 1500m, 10 years ago”, before the switching of alle- 5,000m, 10,000m, 3000m steeplechase and giance became commonplace. marathon. official honorary At the 2010 Games, Bahrain vice president Wei Jizhongo echoed the and Qatar’s African runners again com- sentiment, saying countries should “work pletely dominated the men’s long-distance together to decrease” the number of track events, taking all six medals in the imported medal winners. 5,000m and 10,000m In , Bahrain’s “If they buy some athletes they stop the Nigerian import Oluwakemi Adekoya won training of their athletes. This is not benefi- the women’s 400m just months after cial for their country’s sports,” Wei told Hannes Arch flies at Red Bull Air Race Media Day at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria.— www.redbull.com switching country, to add to Kenyan-born reporters. teenager Ruth Jebet’s gold for the kingdom But some Asian runners said the imports in the 3,000m steeplechase. could help drive up standards. “We believe Meanwhile, Alia Saeed Mohammed- the inclusion of more and more African ath- originally from Ethiopia-stood draped in letes is better for us,” said Ding Changqin, Koreas to square off the flag of her adopted United Arab silver medallist to UAE’s Mohammed in the Emirates after winning the 10,000m. It has 10,000m. been the same story in the men’s competi- “It makes us more powerful and we tion. believe it will make us try harder and in football title clash The men’s 5,000m saw Moroccan-born achieve better results.” “We are not worried Mohamad Al-Garni taking gold ahead of about that,” said Husain al Musallam, direc- Bahrain’s Alemu Bekele Gebre, who tor general of the Olympic Council of Asia, INCHEON: Hosts South Korea overpowered switched allegiance from Ethiopia, and who is from Kuwait. “Maybe the new Asian 2-0 yesterday to set up a titanic Asian Albert Kibichii Rop, formerly Kenyan. athletes will work harder to achieve a high- Games football final against North Korea, whose Ogunode, who scored a golden 200-400 er standard.” star forward scored the winning goal then got double in Guangzhou, left Su (10.10sec) The African-born athletes were unequiv- himself sent off. The two countries, which strad- and Japan’s Kei Takase (10.15sec) trailing in ocal-switching allegiance gives them the dle the world’s most fortified border, each won his wake in the 100m. best opportunity to compete at the highest their semi-finals, giving the men’s tournament a No native Asian has ever run below 10 level. blockbusting gold medal clash full of political seconds. The Japanese sprinter conceded “It’s hard to make the team in Kenya. and emotional overtones. that Asians could be “left behind” as the bar Everyone is very strong,” said middle-dis- Communist North Korea beat Iraq 1-0 in extra set by African runners at Asia’s Olympics tance runner Rop. “I sought a way (to get time. Jong Il-Gwan scored an extra-time winner gets “higher and higher”. on).”—AFP with a curling free kick but was sent off minutes later, ruling him out of Thursday’s final. “We will have to keep all of our emotions under control,” South Korea coach Lee Kwang- Bone-crunching kabaddi Jong said after his side’s victory. “I expect North Korea are feeling more tired than we are so that a knockout hit at Asiad gives us a bit of an edge.” Striker Lee Jong-Ho headed South Korea in front after 41 minutes as INCHEON: An ancient contact sport rooted KABADDI INVASION the home side’s relentless pressure finally told in Indian mythology and said to date back “It makes your stomach strong, your kid- before captain Jang Hyun-Soo held his nerve to 5,000 years, “kabaddi” is proving a knock- neys, heart, breathing,” Singh. “You get add a penalty he was forced to take twice in first- out at the Asian Games as its popularity more oxygen into your lungs. It’s a combi- half stoppage time. spreads. nation of , judo, , rugby, South Korea’s players will be excused two Fans in South Korea enthusiastically athletics.” years of mandatory military service if they end a turned out to watch the game, which While a Western kabaddi invasion is 28-year title drought and win the tournament, requires yoga-like breathing skills as two unlikely anytime soon, a recent profession- which is played under the same under-23 format seven-player teams send a raider into their al league attracted 435 million television as the Olympics. “Records are there to be bro- enemy’s half of the court to tag an oppo- viewers in . ken,” said coach Lee, whose team were roared on nent before returning to safety-in just one More than 80 million were glued to their by 23,000 fans. “We’re in the final and I’m breath. screens for August’s championship game, extremely proud of my players. Now they have Attackers chant “kabaddi, kabaddi” to more than the figures for the World Cup or to finish the job, regardless of who we’re facing.” prove they are not inhaling, the top players Wimbledon finals. As their raiders entered North and South Korea are technically still at INCHEON: South Korea’s Jang Hyunsoo (center) fights for the ball with Thailand’s Adisak capable of doing it for several minutes. enemy territory during a 30-15 mugging of war after the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a Kraisorn (right) during the men’s football semifinal at the 17th Asian Games. —AP , bobbing from side to side like truce, not a peace treaty. But they regularly play But India coach Balwan Singh, whose a boxer looking for the right moment to each other in sporting contests. quently lavishes cars and apartments on medal- ished when he saw red for a second bookable team rule the roost on the world stage, told strike, his team-mates stood around shar- North Korean coach Yun Jong-Su fired the winning athletes who bring glory to the state. offence during one of many skirmishes between AFP that kabaddi can be a perilous busi- ing a joke. first salvo before their showdown by calling for The North last won men’s football gold at the the sides. With North Korea’s champion ness. “Everyone loves kabaddi-it is more It is not for the faint-hearted, however. the officiating to be impartial. in when they shared weightlifters, including gold medallist Om Yun- popular than cricket,” he said in an inter- When they catch a raider, they pounce, “I hope that the referee for the next game will it with South Korea. They will be without Chol, weeping joyfully in the crowd, the players view. “It’s very thrilling, very exciting. In cobra-like, and gleefully pile on him as if in make decisions in a correct and fair way,” he said. goalscorer Jong, who celebrated with gusto sank to their knees as the final whistle sounded India, everyone stops to watch kabaddi- a school playground. A North Korea victory would serve as a useful after netting his fifth goal of the tournament five as they secured the communist state’s second children and old people. But it’s also dan- “Kabaddi is in the Indian DNA,” said propaganda tool for Pyongyang, which fre- minutes into extra time. His smile quickly van- appearance in the Asian Games final. —AFP gerous. You can break bones very easily.” Malaysia team manager Engaittaraman The epic poem “Mahabharata” tells of a Padmanathan. “India has two sports-cricket doomed raid on an enemy camp by the and kabaddi. In Malaysia everyone plays heir of the Pandava kings, while legend has football. It is a developing sport in it that Indian princes played the game as a Malaysia. We used to play it in the evenings Scuffles and protest courting ritual to show off their strength — 30, 40, 50 years ago.” and win their brides. “We have targeted fourth place at this Originating in rural India, the country Asian Games,” he added. “But we would like has captured all six men’s Asian Games the silver in in 2018.” Kabaddi, also over boxing decisions gold medals in kabaddi since it first known as “kodikodi” in , “hadudu” appeared in 1990 — including double gold in Bangladesh and “baibalaa” in Maldives, in Guangzhou four years ago when the has already reached the East Asia with INCHEON: Scuffles broke out and from them.”. ladies made their debut. Japan and home nation South Korea enter- Mongolia lodged an official He refused to confirm whether But other teams, including Pakistan and ing teams in the Asian Games. protest as controversial decisions the team would carry out an earli- Bangladesh, are slowly catching up. “I first tried kabaddi four years ago and in favour of home boxers caused er threat to withdraw their remain- “Pakistan and Bangladesh are stronger but something just clicked,” South Korean chaotic scenes at the Asian Games ing boxers from the Games. we just get stronger too,” said Singh. “There women’s captain Jo Hyu-Na told AFP. “I’ve in South Korea yesterday. is no enjoyment without competition. It’s a seen people break bones and get knocked The husband of Indian light- ‘YOU’VE KILLED BOXING!’ weight Sarita Devi launched an Earlier, Commonwealth Games tough sport and you have to be brave. It is out. I love it. expletive-laden tirade and tangled silver medallist Devi dominated man-to-man combat.” Kabaddi, which was “At the last Asian Games we just put a with security after South Korea’s her fight and when Park was given demonstrated at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, team in with about two months of prepara- Park Ji-Na was controversially the win, it sparked jeers and a is also used by British army troops as a tion but we want a silver medal this time. I think we have opportunities.” —AFP awarded their semi-final bout. melee which prompted the arrival technique to keep fit. And Mongolia’s male ban- of police. tamweight Tugstsogt Nyambayar “I don’t accept this decison. It’s contentiously lost a decision wrong,” a distraught Devi, told AFP, against Ham Sang-Myeong, while her husband Chongtham prompting a brief sit-in protest Thoiba Singh confronted officials and an official complaint. screaming: “You’ve killed boxing!” But the International Boxing He grabbed his wife’s arm and Association (AIBA) rejected the tried to lead her in protest back to INCHEON: South Korea’s Park Ji-Na (right) fights with India’s Laishram protest, saying it was not possible the ring, where the next bout was Sarita Devi (left) in the women’s boxing light 57-60kg semifinal match to appeal against judges’ deci- already under way, resulting in during the . —AFP sions. scuffles as their path was blocked Later there was more drama by security. der. Devi did win a bronze, as beat- on Mary Kom outpointed when Indian light flyweight “Don’t tell me it’s OK! This is not en semi-finalists in boxing both Vietnam’s Le Thi Bang to erase bit- Devendro Singh Laishram battered OK! What the hell is going on receive a medal. ter memories of falling in the last South Korea’s Shin Jong-Hun here!” Singh shouted at the top of Demchigjav Zagdsuren, presi- four in both the last Asian Games almost into submission in the final his voice. “She won this fight and dent of the Mongolia National and Olympic Games. Kom too was round after controlling most of you give it to Korea,” he yelled. Olympic Commmittee, called for angry at Devi’s result. “Of course their fight. Police were called into the arena “fair play” at the boxing competi- Park won, because she is Korean,” Yet the Korean won quarter- and stood in a cordon between tion. “We wish to have fair play and she told Indian TV. final with a unanimous points ver- the press area and the ring. true judging in boxing for the India had a third semi-finalist in dict, which was greeted with more The India team’s Cuban coach sporting spirit of the games,” he the women’s middleweight divi- loud booing. Mongolia’s chef de Blas Iglesias Fernandez called for said in a statement. “We have zero sion, but Rani Pooja lost to ’s mission Badmaanyambuu Bat the judges to be sacked. “I hope all tolerance for misjudging in boxing Li Qian on points and will pick up a Erdene called it a “very sad day”. these judges that made this deci- competitions.” bronze. “We want to see fair play in sion are thrown out of the tourna- The episodes took the gloss off India picked up at least one sport,” Bat Erdene told AFP. “For ment,” he said. what should have been a glorious more medal when middleweight INCHEON: Yoon Yu-Ri (center) of South Korea is tackled by Bangladesh during their some of these athletes they have Later Devi was seen leaving the day for India in the women’s semi- Vikas Krishan beat Hurshidbek women’s Kabaddi preliminary Group A match event of the 17th Asian Games in this only one chance for a gold medal arena wailing and sobbing uncon- finals. In the first bout of the day, Normatov of Uzbekistan easily on file photo. —AP and it has been cruelly taken away trollably on her husband’s shoul- icon and five-times world champi- points the quarter-finals. —AFP