AASIANSIAN GGAMESAMES | Page 2 MMLBLB | Page 5 India’s Rahi Blue Jays jack and wushu four home players enjoy runs, rout landmark day Orioles 8-2 Thursday, August 23, 2018 TENNIS Dhul-Hijja 12, 1439 AH India end England’s GULF TIMES resistance in 17 balls to win third Test SPORT Page 3 FOCUS Samba gets into rhythm as Asian Games gold beckons ‘I am very confident that I can win the gold. This is the first Asian Games for me... I’ll do something big here’ By Anil John athletes would be more discreet Jakarta about it, listening to music on their headphones. Samba says music is a big part bderrahman Samba of his life and he cannot do with- talks very fast, without out it. a pause and in a straight “Yeah that’s the way I like it. trajectory. It’s similar to It helps me in my job. I like mu- Ahis run – swift, clean and strong sic very much and I keep track strides that are indicative of ath- of trends in music and dance. I letic prowess. His coach Hennie like many Arab singers, and also Kotze says there’s nothing fasci- Beyonce and Rihanna. I am also nating in athletics than watching aware of Kiki Challenge,” he says, a champion hurdler in action. attempting a dance move pio- There’s one diff erence, though. neered by the Canadian rapper When Samba is hurdling, his ex- Audrey Drake Graham. pression is stern, focused. When Of course, he won’t be jump- he is talking, he is beaming ear ing off cars or doing something to ear, gesticulating wildly and equally silly as he has far more giving the impression he loves it interesting challenges to seek on very much. the cut-throat athletics circuit. “It’s very tough out there. There are lots of good athletes out there. I have to stay focused and healthy.” Medals tally (top 15) G S B T 1. China 38 30 15 83 2. Japan 20 23 25 68 3. Korea 11 15 23 49 4. IR Iran 7 3 6 16 5. Indonesia 6 4 7 17 6. DPR Korea 5 2 3 10 7. India 4 3 8 15 8. Thailand 4 2 10 16 Not that he doesn’t love hur- 9. Uzbekistan 3 5 6 14 dling – after all, he is one of the we want to be the best together,” ter American Kevin Young – to Asian Games where, barring a I am very excited about it and come the world champion in best in the world, besides be- Samba told Gulf Times after a go under 47 seconds in the 400m shocking error or an unexpected I’ll do something big here,” the front of home fans would be a 10. Chinese Taipei 3 3 8 14 ing a potential world champion gruelling training session yester- hurdles – a sensational feat upset, he is certain to win gold. 23-year-old added. fantastic achievement. Maybe 11. Mongolia 3 2 4 9 with several years of domination day. considering he fi nished a mod- “I am very confi dent that I Samba is in tune with his also break the world record.” 12. Kazakhstan 1 6 14 21 beckoning. Samba has dominated the Dia- est seventh at the IAAF World can win the gold. This is the coach’s belief that he could In a rare quirk, Samba carries a “Whatever I do, I want to be mond League circuit in his dis- Championships in London last fi rst Asian Games for me and I win the world title at the World music system to his training ven- 13. Lebanon 1 1 2 4 the best. I want to be number one cipline this year, captivating the year. consider it the second-biggest Championships in Doha next ue and prefers to have the sound 14. Malaysia 1 1 1 3 in athletics, I want to be number world and even becoming only He is in supremely fi t shape event in my career so far after the year. blaring and echoing through one in life. Along with my coach the second man in history – af- and looking forward to his fi rst World Championships last year. “Yes, that’s my goal. To be- the empty stadium. Most other 15. Macau 1 1 0 2 Qatar at Asiad Qatar Ali al-Araimi (left) in action against Kazakhstan’s Akbar Aitakhunov during the men’s Round of Qatar’s Tamer Abdelrasoul (second from right) and Mahdi Sammoud (right) in action during the men’s beach volleyball Pool F match against 16 taekwondo match in Jakarta yesterday. Aitakhunov picked up a narrow 22-19 victory. Iran’s Arash Vakili and Bahman Salemiinjehboroun in Palembang, Indonesia, yesterday. The Iranians narrowly won the thrilling encounter 2-1. Gulf Times 2 Thursday, August 23, 2018 ASIAN GAMES FOCUS BADMINTON Japan beat rivals India’s Sarnobat China for fi rst title in 20 years Reuters China’s He Bingjiao 21-16, 19-21, Jakarta 21-15 to give Japan the lead. and wushu players Olympic doubles champions Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka apan beat China 3-1 in the Takahashi sealed victory with a fi nal of the women’s team 21-16, 21-11 win. event yesterday to secure “China’s our biggest rival and the country’s fi rst bad- I am extremely pleased to win Jminton gold medal at an Asian this,” Takahashi told reporters. Games since 1998. The win brings Japan their fi rst enjoy landmark day The victory also means China women’s team gold since 1970. were prevented from winning “I believe winning against a sixth consecutive gold in the China means we are a real world Sarnobat wins 25m pistol to become first Indian woman to take Asiad shooting gold event. champions,” said Japan’s coach Japan’s top player and world Park Joo Bong. IANS number two Akane Yamaguchi The women’s team medal was Jakarta India beat struggled in the fi rst rubber, losing the fi rst available in the badmin- to China’s Chen Yufei 21-15, 21-12. ton competition, which the Chi- Hong Kong However, Japan roared back nese are expected to dominate in ahi Sarnobat scripted to win three rubbers on the trot, Jakarta. history by becoming 26-0 in record fi rst through Yuki Fukushima They won four golds in the the fi rst Indian woman hockey win and Sayaka Hirota in the dou- previous Games in Incheon four shooter to win Asiad bles before Nozomi Okuhara beat years ago. Rgold while the wushu players India’s men’s hockey team produced their best ever medal romped to their biggest haul at the 18th Asian Games ever tournament win at the yesterday. Asian Games yesterday with India also ensured two medals a 26-0 thrashing of hapless from the tennis court with the Hong Kong — who didn’t men’s doubles team of Rohan have a single shot on target. Bopanna and Divij Sharan, and India scored nearly a goal womens’ singles player Ankita every two minutes as they Raina entering the semi-fi nals broke an 86-year-old record, of their respective categories. surpassing their 24-1 victory India thus rose a rung to the over the United States at the seventh spot on the medals tally 1932 Olympics. with four gold, three silver and India were off to an explo- eight bronze medals. sive start with Akashdeep At the shooting ranges in Singh (2nd minute) Man- Palembang, Sarnobat prevailed preet Singh (3rd), Rupinder in a nervy shoot-off in the wom- Pal Singh (4th, 5th) and SV en’s 25m pistol competition to Sunil, who scored twice in win gold. The 27-year-old got the seventh minute giving the better of Thailand’s Naphas- Gold medallist India’s Rahi Jeevan Sarnobat observes her country’s national anthem during the podium their team a 6-0 lead within wan Yangpaiboon in a shoot-off ceremony for the women’s 25m pistol shooting event at the Asian Games in Palembang yesterday. (AFP) the first seven minutes. after both shot a Games record Vivek Sagar Prasad scored score of 34 in the fi nal round. their respective semi-fi nals. China 4-6, 6-2, 10-2 in another second best Indian performer with a deflection from close In the shoot-off , Sarnobat Each losing semi-fi nalist is as- bitterly fought quarter-fi nal. with 691 points, with 45 10s and range in the 13th minute to hit three while the Thai shooter sured of a bronze medal. In women’s singles, Raina got 21 Xs. Kirar was in ninth spot. put India 7-0 ahead by the Team members of gold medallists Japan take a selfie after their win in missed three to settle for the Naorem Roshibina Devi took past Hong Kong’s Eudice Wong Madhumita Kumari was 11th end of the first quarter. the women’s team badminton event yesterday. (Reuters) silver medal as the Indian im- a bronze in the women’s sec- Chong 6-4, 6-1 to enter the with 689 points, with 46 10s and The Indians continued their proved upon her bronze medal tion after losing 0-1 to China’s last-four stage. 13 Xs, while Trisha Deb shot 683 rampage as Lalit Upad- winning feat at the 2014 edition. Cai YingYing in the 60kg semi- Raina and Bopanna advanced to be 19th. Trisha shot 38 10s hyay (17th, 18th, 35th, 55th) SPOTLIGHT Minjung Kim of Japan took fi nals.