Combat Readiness at All-Time High FIGHT SPORTS SET to PROVIDE SOME of the FIERCEST COMPETITION at ASIAD
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NOVEMBER 12, 20 CHINA DAILY PAGE 10 ASIAD COMBAT SPORTS Combat readiness at all-time high FIGHT SPORTS SET TO PROVIDE SOME OF THE FIERCEST COMPETITION AT ASIAD By TANG YUE Wushu CHINA DAILY Since wushu was included in the Asian Games in 1990, Chinese GUANGZHOU — Riding a wave athletes have won 34 of the 45 gold of confidence inspired by a stellar medals awarded, including nine at showing at August’s SportAccord the 2006 Doha Asiad. Combat Games in Beijing, China Th e event had a heightened pro- enters the Guangzhou Asiad aim- fi le this time around, as the fi rst gold ing to match or surpass its success medals of Guangzhou Asian Games in Doha four years ago that resulted were awarded in men’s long boxing in 20 gold medals in wushu, boxing, on Saturday morning. taekwondo, judo and wrestling. Defending champion Yuan Xiao- However, the absence of some key chao of China went into the opening veteran athletes, combined with an match as the clear favorite. overall heightened competition level in these events, will make rising to Judo that challenge all the more diffi cult. China and Japan have always been archrivals in women’s judo. Taekwondo Four years ago at the Doha Asiad, Heading into the Guangzhou China’s women’s contingent won Asiad, coaches appeared cautious fi ve gold medals while Japan won about China’s prospects by stat- two. The Chinese women then ing their goal is to win gold in the edged their Japanese counterparts women’s event and any medal on the by one gold at the Beijing Olym- men’s side. pics. Th at’s in sharp contrast to China’s Th at success might be diffi cult to record haul of three golds in Doha duplicate in Guangzhou, however. four years ago and the Republic of Tong Wen, winner of +78kg Korea’s stated goal of seven golds in class at the Beijing Games, has Guangzhou. been banned for two years after Without two-time Olympic cham- failing the doping test at the 2009 JACQUES DEMARTHON / AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE pion Chen Zhong, who retired aft er Worlds, while another winner in China’s Zou Shiming (left) fi ghts against Ireland’s Paddy Barnes during the 2008 Olympic Games. the Beijing Games, China is looking Beijing, Xian Dongmei, retried to Wu Jingyu, gold medalist in the last year. 49kg class in Beijing and the defend- Yang Xiuli, the only Olympic ing Asiad champion. champion left on the team, led China Another medal hope for China to two silvers at September’s World is Luo Wei, who won the 67kg class Championships. at the 2004 Athens Olympics. How- Without setting a gold standard, ever, the defending Asiad champion’s coach Fu Guoyi expects the team competitiveness has come into ques- “to show their best” at the Asiad. tion as she has seldom appeared on Heading into Guangzhou, China’s world stage in the past three years. men’s team has only one gold at the Asian Games. Boxing Four years ago in Doha, Zou Wrestling Shiming became the first Chinese China men’s and women’s teams boxer to strike gold at the Asian each won one gold medal four years Games by triumphing in the 48kg ago in Doha and hope to repeat the class, while teammate Hu Qing feat at home. added another gold by claiming the But it won’t be easy. In the wom- title in the 60kg division. en’s draw, Japan, which took three of Zou then made history again by the four women’s titles in Doha, is winning at the 2008 Beijing Olym- still a dominant force. pics. Zou and Hu will lead China’s “Japan is definitely our biggest ring contingent at the Guangzhou rival in the women’s event,” said Asiad. China’s coach, Zhang Haojie. Women’s boxing makes its debut “Considering the fact we have a at the 2010 Asian Games, and expec- very young team, I will not push tations are that the competition will them. My hope is that they will gain be fi erce since three women’s weight valuable experience for the 2012 classes have been approved for the London Olympics.” 2012 London Olympics. Th e obstacles are greater for the According to the sport’s chief Chinese men, as Japan, the Republic in China, Chang Jianping, China of Korea and Iran have some of the failed to win gold in any of the world’s top wrestlers. GOH CHAI HIN / AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE SAM YEH / AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE three events of the Asiad that were China men’s wrestling is still China’s Wu Jingyu delivers a kick at the World China’s Cui Wenjuan competes during the wushu part of the Asian Women’s Boxing catching up, aft er winning a historic Taekwondo Championship on May 17 2007. event at the World Games on July 24, 2009. Championships in May. silver medal at the Beijing Games..