China sweeps early golds at Doha

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(AP)
Updated: 2006-12-02 22:18

DOHA, Qatar _ World record holder Wang Mingjuan won gold in the weightlifting Saturday to lead an early Chinese sweep on the first official day of the 15th Asian Games competition.

Wang, who lifted 118 kilograms to set the 48kg class clean and jerk world record at the World Weightlifting Championships here last month, hoisted 116 kilograms to win the Asian Games gold.

China claimed the first seven of the 20 gold medals on offer Saturday with wins in the men's individual and team 10-meter air rifle, the women's individual and team trap, the women's individual and team 10-meter air rifle shooting competitions.

The Chinese won a leading 150 gold medals at Busan, South Korea in 2002 and have won the most medals every year since 1982 in the competition which is held every four years.

Athletes and organizers contended with surprising weather in this desert city, with the temperature barely reaching 20 C (68 F) and under steady rain, hampering early events.

"The rain is totally unexpected and it will cause problems," said Doha organizing committee media director Patrick Furlong. "We ask for patience because we are facing some difficult times."

Staff at Hamad Aquatic Centre worked through the night to mop up storm water covering the competition areas, with the venue's area managers called in at 2 a.m. local time to help clean up.

Equipment was floating in puddles of water 10 centimeters (4 inches) deep by the diving pool.

The start of the outdoor soft tennis competition was delayed for several hours due to rain and wet courts.

A leak in the roof at the games' showpiece Aspire indoor venue caused delays to the badminton, while play on one court was abandoned while workers attempted to stem water dripping onto the playing area.

"Even a few drops of water on the fields of play are dangerous," said Singaporean referee Mohan Dharan.

Hisayoshi Chono hit a home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Japan's all-amateur team a 10-7 win over defending champion South Korea (0-2) in the baseball competition.

Japan's win improves its chances of setting up a gold medal showdown with a Taiwan team studded with U.S. major league players, that trounced Thailand 16-0 later Saturday.

The game was shortened to five innings due to the tournament's mercy rule. China, Taiwan and Japan top the six-team competition with 2-0 records.

In badminton, world No. 1 Lin Dan of China took first honors in his rivalry with Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat, beating the Indonesian 21-17, 17-21, 21-16 in a men's team match.

Hidayat had a run-in with Lin during a match in Hong Kong this year, and doesn't think much of his rival.

"I don't like Lin," Hidayat said at training this week. "I know he's a good player, yes, but he's not nice to other players ... he's arrogant."

International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge spoke at the Olympic Council of Asia meeting in Doha on Saturday, and again issued an appeal for the release of Iraqi Olympic officials who were kidnapped in July.

Rogge urged the captors to release Iraq Olympic Committee chairman Ahmed al-Hijiya and 30 other people who were taken hostage at gunpoint during a brazen daylight raid on a sports conference in Baghdad.

"The Iraqi NOC president and his colleagues were kidnapped four months ago and they're all still missing. Please let them free," he said. "Let them return home to their families so that they can work for youth and peace in their country."

Sunday's forecast is for sunny weather and a high of 20 C (68 F). Some 25 gold medals will be on offer, including swimming, the men's cycling road race, the women's team event in artistic gymnastics, judo, shooting, weightlifting, table tennis and tenpin bowling.