Thursday, September 6, 2018 CHINA DAILY HONG KONG EDITION 2 PAGE TWO Left: Zhao Shuai (left) wins the silver medal in the men’s taekwondo 63­kilogram category at the Asian Games in Jakarta. Above: Swimmer Sun Yang won all four freestyle golds. Right: Sprinter Su Bingtian takes gold in the men’s 100­meter final. PHOTOS BY WANG JING / CHINA DAILY Nation shifts By SHI FUTIAN in Jakarta sports traditionally dominated focus to Tokyo Jakarta Games served as a key According to the delegation, [email protected] globally by Asian countries, platform for China’s young ath­ the first is that many of its young such as table tennis, badmin­ letes to gain experience. The athletes are still short of experi­ Despite striking gold in a big ton, gymnastics and diving, Chi­ best example is the table tennis ence and need to gain it in the way at the 2018 Asian Games, na won 28 golds, an indication squad, which swept the five next two years. China’s sports delegation is of the country’s Olympic com­ golds on offer. Changes to the rules and the keeping a cool head as it faces petitiveness. Olympics However, none of the 10 Chi­ inclusion of new sports and dis­ challenges in repeating this suc­ For example, the diving team nese players in Jakarta had ciplines present another chal­ cess at the 2020 Tokyo Olym­ swept all 10 golds in Jakarta played at the Olympic Games lenge. Lastly, China’s traditional pics. along with six silvers. and only three had Asian Games dominance in events such as Memories from the Asian Shi Tingmao won two golds Challenges emerge after Asian Games success experience. table tennis, gymnastics, bad­ Games, which ended in Jakarta in the women’s 3­meter spring­ Ma Long, Xu Xin and Ding minton and swimming is being on Sunday, will linger for a long board and 3­meter synchro­ Ning, who all have multiple challenged by other global time. nized springboard with Chang world and Olympic titles, were sporting powerhouses. They include the smiling face Yani. “I completed a golden all absent in Jakarta in order to Take swimming for example. of basketball icon Yao Ming aft­ grand slam from the Asian give the young players the Although spearhead by super­ er China won both the men’s Games, World Championships, chance to show their ability. star Sun Yang, Chinese swim­ and women’s basketball tourna­ World Cup and Olympic China’s world No 1 players mers pocketed 19 golds and 50 ments and the tears shed by star Games,” said the two­time 21­year­old Fan Zhendong medals overall in Jakarta, facing swimmer Sun Yang after he Olympic gold medalist and bagged the men’s singles gold huge pressure from Japan, won all four freestyle disci­ multiple world champion, who and 23­year­old Zhu Yuling which won 19 golds but 52 med­ plines. has just turned 27. helped to secure the women’s als overall. However, those who shone in “I always want to do my best. team gold. But other young Multiple world and Olympic Jakarta, which was considered The gold medal was a perfect stars, such as 19­year­old Wang champion Sun couldn’t help a dress rehearsal for Tokyo, birthday gift for me and a great Manyu, who won the women’s shedding a tear after winning know there is much to be done boost to keep fighting.” singles gold, also proved their his fourth gold of the Asiad, but in the next two years. China has bagged all 80 div­ worth. this also served as a reminder Although bagging a total of ing golds on offer at the 12 Asian Wang said: “I achieved my that he has now turned 26, and 289 medals, including 132 golds, Games since 1974, but that does goal at the Asian Games. Given I his appearance at Tokyo could to top the Asian Games tally for not mean there are no challen­ won the gold, I guess I will be be his last at an Olympics. the 10th consecutive time since ges. thrilled in the short­term, but It is clear that China is in des­ 1982, China must address con­ Zhou Jihong, manager of the there are more challenges and perate need of a new generation cerns ahead of the Olympics. diving team, said: “In terms of competitions waiting for me. of swimming talent. These include its main the final result, we are satisfied. “The gold in Jakarta will not New stars, including world regional rival Japan catching up However, many of our strong change my determination. ... My champion backstroker Xu Jiayu, strongly in key sports such as opponents are from Europe and ambition is the Tokyo Olym­ 23, who won five golds in Jakar­ swimming, badminton and ath­ the United States. We still have a pics.” ta, 16­year­old Wangjian Jiahe, letics. lot of work to do.” who pocketed four golds, and Li Liu Guoyong, secretary­gen­ China defeats Japan 86­74 in the women’s basketball semi­finals in Jakarta. More opportunities Bingjie, who grabbed two to eral of the Chinese delegation, Reforms pay off The gold medal­winning Chi­ dominate the long­distance which comprised 845 athletes, China has introduced nese women’s volleyball team women’s freestyle, are gradually said the success in Jakarta had reforms aimed at guaranteeing Zhou Qi, China’s only player to university lecturer, a student to give the Chinese a better also focused on developing leading the charge. boosted confidence but does a brighter future for its athletes, appear in the NBA in the US last and an office worker. chance not only in Jakarta but young players. However, Japan also has new not necessarily mean it will be and the Jakarta Games were season, was sent to Jakarta, Their transformation from also in Tokyo against the tradi­ Although the team boasts talent, including 18­year­old repeated in Tokyo. considered a stage to show the while Team Blue, which boasted grassroots basketball­loving tionally powerful US team. global megastar spiker Zhu Rikako Ikee, who won six golds “The Asian Games can serve results. Some of the reforms former NBA player Yi Jianlian, enthusiasts to national heroes Qiao coached US Olympic Ting, legendary coach Lang and eight medals overall in Jak­ as a mid­term exam for us in have clearly paid off. stayed at home. started with Yao’s innovative champions Shawn Johnson Ping tried her best to give the arta to become the only woman building up to the Tokyo Olym­ The country’s gold medal­ “The purpose was to help us system — a national 3x3 tourna­ (2008, balance beam) and Gab­ young players more opportuni­ in any sport to win more than pics,” Liu said. “The Games can winning basketball teams are find more talent,” Yao said. “The ment open to both amateurs by Douglas (2012, all­around). ties. five medals at a single Asian allow young athletes to get a feel one of the most exciting exam­ two head coaches of the red and and professionals. “We have to discover the Young spiker Li Yingying, 18, Games. for major international sport­ ples. blue teams helped us find five to “Through the new national potential of every athlete,” Qiao was excited about the gold and Sun said: “The competition ing events.” Compared with just one six new talented players.” tournament, many young ath­ said. “The Asian Games is just a said she had learned a lot from between China and Japan is not Although China won 151 women’s basketball silver at the While the men’s team pocket­ letes will have the chance to test. The world championships the Games. “After so many over. ... We must learn the les­ golds and 345 medals overall at 2014 Asian Games, China ed the gold, the women’s squad compete in the Olympics,” Yao and Tokyo Olympics are our matches here, I feel that I now sons and avoid the mistakes the 2014 Asiad in Incheon, bagged all four golds in the also returned to the top. Under said. “This is the new start for main goals.” have better control of the ball,” from these Games.” South Korea, the performances men’s and women’s basketball Yao’s reforms, the women’s Chinese basketball. By estab­ More important, 50­year­old she said. In Tokyo in 2020, China will in Jakarta were in no way inferi­ events and the new 3x3 compe­ team recruited new star players, lishing this system early, we can Qiao wants his gymnasts to be As captain, Zhu was also hap­ not only face highly competitive or to those at previous Asian tition in Jakarta, a result of the giving the squad the momen­ achieve better results in the happy. py. “We are improving in some Japanese men’s and women’s Games. reforms introduced by Yao tum to again dominate the Asi­ future.” “A healthy mentality starts areas that had previously been squads roared on by home The Chinese delegation told Ming, the Chinese Basketball ad. from training,” he said. “It’s our weak points. Our young crowds but also other strong Xinhua News Agency that the Association chairman. China’s surprise clean sweep Change of ideas important for coaches and team players are also doing better and swimming nations from around event schedule for Jakarta was To guarantee the men’s team of the golds in the new 3x3 event Another example is the artis­ leaders to create a happy atmos­ better,” she said. the world.