NOVEMBER 15, 20 DAILY PAGE 3 TOP PERFORMERS Macao wins fi rst-ever gold VETERAN MARTIAL ARTIST, JIA RUI, CREATES HISTORY FOR HIS ADOPTED HOME

GUANGZHOU — Veteran martial artist Jia Rui won Macao its fi rst Asian Games gold medal in the men’s daoshu and gunshu combined on Sunday. Jia, 23, a silver medalist at the 2002 Doha Asiad, scored 19.61 points to win the title for the broadsword and staff competition under the taolu category. Th e sport comprises two basic elements: taolu (set routines), and sanshou boxing (free sparring). Vietnamese Nguyen Manh Quyen ended WUSHU his country’s medal drought in Guangzhou by snatching the bronze with 19.38 points. Lee Jong-chan from the Republic of Korea took silver by a narrow margin of 0.04 points. Host China had no entrants. “I feel so fortunate to have won the fi rst gold for Macao. Th is sets us on a new stage of the sport’s development,” said Jia. “We also have gold hopes in other events like karate. I hope my win is just a start,” he said. Jia is from Central China’s Henan province, home to the world- renowned Shaolin Temple on Song- shan Mountain and considered the LAURENT FIEVET / AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE cradle of Chinese kungfu. Jia Rui of Macao competes in the men’s wushu gunshu at the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou on Sunday. Jia claimed the gold, followed by the Jia started to learn martial Republic of Korea’s Lee Jong-chan and Vietnam’s Nguyen Manh Quyen. arts at the age of seven, and soon proved himself gifted at entered the men’s all-round, when because it doubled my chances of the martial art, is the favorite in all China’s wushu haul by winning competitions featuring weapons the event included the disciplines success,” he said. “It’s not easy to 10 events it will participate in. the women’s jianshu/qiangshu all- such as the broadsword and of (long fist boxing), participate in two straight Asian Silver medalist Lee paid tribute round format. staff . He won numerous national daoshu (broadsword) and - Games. I’m competing with myself. to the man from Macao. Kan scored 9.90 out of 10 in and international events before shu (staff), but was beaten into I know as long as I work harder than “The Asian Games are com- her jianshu routine and put in he was recruited by the Macao second place by Yuan Xiaochao, my rivals, I’ll make it.” petitive — all my opponents were another dazzling performance in Polytechnic Institute in 2004, who seized the first gold of the More than 140 athletes are competitive, but the toughest one the qiangshu to beat Hong Kong’s aft er which he went on to repre- Guangzhou Games for China on competing for 15 gold medals in to beat was Jia Rui.” Zheng Tianhui and Lee Wen-jung sent Macao. Saturday. the wushu competition. China, China’s Kan Wencong, mean- of Chinese Taipei. Four years ago in Doha, he “Th is time I chose (a new event) which is credited with inventing while, added another gold to XINHUA

GOLD MEDALISTS >> OTHER OUTSTANDING ATHLETES

BILLIARDS SOFT TENNIS TRIATHLON Advani pockets First gold for Japan at the prize for India Chinese Taipei double, again Pankaj Advani gave India its In the men’s soft tennis gold Japan racked up a one-two fi rst gold of the Asian Games medal match on Sunday, fi nish in the men’s triathlon at on Sunday when he defeated Chinese Taipei defeated the Asian Games on Sunday Myanmar’s Oo Nay Th way defending champion Japan to replicate the gold-silver 3-2 in a tense fi nal of the men’s 2-1 to win the title for the sweep achieved by their billiards. fi rst time since Hiroshima female teammates. “I was under pressure in the in 1994. Yuichi Hosoda (pictured) last frame,” said Advani. “I Aft er sharing the fi rst two completed the 1.5km swim, couldn’t imagine losing. sets, Lin Ting-chung and Liu 40km bike race and 10km run “For me this is like winning Chia-lun (pictured) saw off in 1hr, 52min, 13sec for gold, the Olympics. I won this for Shiego Nakahori and Tsuneo with compatriot Ryosuke my country.” Takagawa in the decider. Yamamoto claiming silver 25.92sec behind. AFP AFP AFP