p17 2_Layout 1 9/30/14 11:42 PM Page 1 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 Su Bingtian 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 Qatar’s Femi Ogunode, born in their national teams is fierce. Nigeria, who smashed Asia’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 Bahrain. Asian sport leaders appear divided over the South Korea’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 Asian Games 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 Doha 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. Olympic Council of Asia official honorary At the 2010 Guangzhou 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 Incheon, 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 Thailand 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 wrestling, judo, boxing, 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 India. 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 Bangladesh, 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. 1978 Asian Games in Bangkok 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.