Asian Games

[David Jamieson]

Pretty spectacular photos of the opening here: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/201...ing_cerem.html

[SPJ]

fire work spectacular

I heard that they started to create the fire work that write chinese characters

[GeneChing]

I cherry-picked a few for here.

Asian Games' opening gold medal is in martial arts
(AP) – 1 day ago

GUANGZHOU, China (AP) — The martial art of wushu provided the first of an onslaught of gold medals for China at the Asian Games on Saturday, with the host nation excelling at everything from weightlifting to shooting to dance.

On Day 1 of this 45-nation event, two-time world champion Yuan Xiaochao struck gold before 10 a.m. by capturing the changquan discipline.

"The win has a significant meaning for me," said Yuan, an avid Bruce Lee fan with ambitions of working in a kung fu movie. "It is also a good way to make the world know China and Chinese wushu."

Yuan missed the spectacular opening ceremony Friday night, when athletes were ferried down the Pearl River to an island venue for an extravagant show of fireworks and light.

"To have the best competition I have to get rest," he said. "It's mostly to help me relax."

Yuan set the tone for the host country. China won 18 of the next 27 finals, including all five in dance sport's Asian Games debut, five of six in shooting, four of six in the pool, two each at both weightlifting and wushu and the men's team event at gymnastics. China has 28 medals overall, with 18 gold.

Japan and South Korea picked up four gold medals apiece, with Hong Kong's Lee Waisze winning the first cycling medal, setting an Asian record time of 33.945 seconds to take gold in the women's 500-meter time trial in an upset result over defending champion Guo Shuang of China.

China topped the medal count at the last Asian Games in Qatar with 166 gold medals, well ahead of second-place South Korea's 58. China's target in Guangzhou, where 476 gold medals are at stake, is to surpass its 2006 total.

Japan, third in medals at Doha, picked up gold and silver in the women's triathlon — the first gold medal contested outdoors at Guangzhou — with Mariko Adachi leading teammate Akane Tsuchihashi across the finish line in 2 hours, 5 minutes, 45 seconds.

"Now I feel very proud to get Japan's first gold medal," Adachi said.

Japan and China shared the honors in the pool at the last Asian Games. For now, China leads 4-2. Takeshi Matsuda won the 200-meter butterfly and Yuya Morihata the 400 individual medley for Japan.

Japan was expected to dominate judo, but South Koreans won three golds on the mats on the first of four days of competition.

South Korea had earlier collected its first gold of the games at shooting, winning the 50-meter pistol men's team event. Chinese shooter Yi Siling became the first multiple gold medalist of the games by winning the women's 10-meter air rifle and the 10-meter air rifle team title.

In soccer, both Koreas, China and Japan all won 3-0 Saturday and advanced to the second round. Competition got under way in cricket, which is making its debut at the Asian Games.

Nov 15, 2010
ASIAN GAMES AT GUANGZHOU
Wushu winner credits Jackie Chan

China's Huang Guangyuan won another wushu gold and put credit to Hong Kong star Jackie Chang. -- PHOTO: AFP

GUANGZHOU - CHINA'S Huang Guangyuan won another wushu gold for China on Monday and put the credit at the door of Hong Kong movie star Jackie Chan.

Huang posted the highest score in each of the Nanquan and Nangun elements of the all-round final for a total of 19.73 out of a possible 20.

But it was a closer race for the silver and bronze, with Hong Kong's He Jingde and Vietnam's Quoc Khanh Pham eventually finishing second and third.

Huang said he owed a debt to Hollywood star Chan, something silver medal winner He, who works as a martial arts movie stuntman, can relate to.

'I loved watching Jackie Chan's movies when I was just a child,' said Huang.

'He plays an important role in my life, as do my parents who give me great support to learn wushu.' -- AFP

Confident Lin wins second Wushu gold for China at Guangzhou Asiad
English.news.cn 2010-11-13 15:24:12

GUANGZHOU, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- China's Lin Fan captured the gold medal in women's Nanquan and Nandao combined competition of Wushu event at the Guangzhou Asiad on Saturday.

Lin, 23, who was crowned at the Wushu Tournament during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, presented flawless performances to win her first Asiad's gold with 19.80 points.

Indonesian Irmanto Ivana Ardelia, the youngest of 10 competitors, took the silver with 18.92 and Malaysia's Tai Cheau Xuen secured the bronze with 18.86 points.

"It's my best show ever and I want to give myself a full score for my performances," said Lin. "I set the goal to win the medal before the Games, and now, I did it."

Lin, who also won the Nanquan competition at the 2007 Beijing World Championship, failed to represent China at the Doha Games four years ago.

"It's a pity. Maybe I was not good enough at that time, but winning my first Asian Games' champion on my homeland is a sort of compensation," she said.

Earlier in the morning, China's Yuan Xiaochao cinched the first gold of the Games in men's Changquan form. Japan's Daisuke Ichikizaki won the silver and Iran's Peyghambari Ehsan snatched the bronze.

Around 150 players will compete for 15 gold medals in Wushu, a full contact sport derived from Chinese martial art. The sport comprises Taolu (set routines), and Sanshou boxing (free sparring).

The Chinese, who founded the sport, are seen the favorites in the 10 events they will participate.

[GeneChing]

... I'm just posting this one because I like the name "Smiling" Huang. Nice to see He Jingde still in the game. I did an article on him in our 2003 January/February issue - Blazin' Wushu! China's Ballistic Champion, He Jingde By me with Woody Wong.

"Smiling" Huang wins China's 4th Wushu gold at Guangzhou Asiad
English.news.cn 2010-11-15 15:57:59

GUANGZHOU, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- Huang Guangyuan won the fourth Wushu gold medal for host China at the Guangzhou Asiad in men's Nanquan and Nangun Combined on Monday.

Huang, 21, won his first Asian Games gold with 19.73 points in the event, featuring the boxing and staff art which are more often practised in south China.

He Jingde from Hong Kong, a martial arts movie stuntman, scored 19. 40 points to clinch the silver. Vitenamese Pham Quoc Khanh, who ranked second place at the 2002 Doha Asiad, claimed the bronze with 19.33 points.

Chinese have already won the championships in men's Changquan, women's Nanquan and Nandao combined, and Jianshu and Qiangshu Combined, showing the dominance on the sports they founded.

Nicknamed "master of difficulty", Huang overshadowed his opponents in balance and stability. He started the "golden Asiad trip" with a 9.87-point victory in the Nanquan competition in the morning and secured the championship with 9.86 in the Nangun.

Smiles spread on the spiky-haired young man as his named was announced at the victory ceremony. The joyful champion, wearing the red national flag of China, bit his medal after the ceremony. Huang's family, holding his picture high at the stands, shared the honor with happy tears.

"My first gold medal of Asian Games tastes really good," said Huang. "My parents and my uncle rushed to the venue from my hometown in the neighboring Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to cheer me up. I love them, and I'm happy to have them with me here, now."

The Guangzhou Asiad sees the start of the promising Huang, but also, maybe the retirement of the silver medallist He. The 32-year-old said he would quit from the next Games for the age issue.

"This is my last Asian Games. I'm 32 now. I came here to challenge myself and I'm satisfied with my performances today," he said.

The bronze medal winner Pham Quoc Khanh, who won the silver at the same event four years in Doha, showed pity to the result.

"I have trained in Guangxi, China for more than 40 days before I came here, and I get more concentrated in competitions, but it's pity I just had my knee injured, or I can do better," he said.

More than 140 players will compete for 15 gold medals in Wushu, a full contact sport derived from Chinese martial art. The sport comprises Taolu (set routines), and Sanshou boxing (free sparring).

The Chinese are seen the favorites in the 10 events they will participate.

[GeneChing]

Fencing uses electric scoring and there's been instances of tampering and cheating. I was wondering when electric TKD would elicit similar controversy.

In Kung-fu, we believe
English.news.cn 2010-11-18 16:19:35

GUANGZHOU, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Although familiar sports ranging from soccer to swimming dominate the Asian Games, Wushu has attracted a solid fan base of both the faithful and the curious.

Uzbekistan's blonde Karmazina Olga ended her first Asian Games by finishing the last at the women's taiji boxing and Taijijian all-around. The 18-year-old iatrology freshman suffered a major setback since she started practice Wushu at five, as her score is nearly 4 points less than that of the gold medal winner.

"See, I'm the only one who scored less than 16 points," said the four-time national championship winner with some embarrassment.

However, Olga said she wouldn't give up.

"It's my first time to come to China and I saw so many good players. They show me what's the best of the best, I learned a lot from them," she said. "Next time, I believe, my name won't be the last one."

Wushu, literally meaning "martial art"in Chinese, is more wildly known as Kung-fu. Founded more than 3,000 years ago, it has been developed into routines using hands, swords, spears and staffs involving stances, kicks, punches, balances, jumps and sweeps over centuries.

Thanks to Kung-fu movie stars Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li, Wushu has got known by more people as cool, healthy graceful art similar to gymnastic floor exercises.

"Jet Li is my idol. Actually it's because of him I started to practice Wushu, " said Japan's Ichikizahi Daisuke in Chinese. He was silver medal winner in men's changquan, or long fist boxing at the Guangzhou Asiad.

To make his Kung-fu dream true, Ichikizahi traveled between his hometown Osaka and Tokyo, where the coach's Wushu club is, for years. He used to do several part-time jobs to make the ends meet, because the Japanese Wusu organizations only cover the costs for important events like the Asian Games.

The 23-year-old named Japanese chess and soccer as his hobbies, but those sports are what he only does when he is off the Wushu training room.

"The more I practice, I'm more clear of that I can't be another Jet Li," said Ichikizahi.

"Wushu is such a profound topic. It's far more than fighting skills. It's also about philosophy of balance between man and nature," he said.

"If possible, I will practice Wushu all my life, because I have so much to learn."

TICKET TO OLYMPICS?

For many spectators, the inclusion of the non-Olympic regional sports, such as Wushu, Kabbadi, cricket, is what gives the Asian Games its charm. For the athletes, however, competing at the Olympics is a common dream.

"A Olympic gold medal is my one last dream as a sportsman," said Wushu player Yuan Xiaochao, who won the Asian Games' first gold.

The International Wushu Federation is one of the IOC's 31 recognized federations along with cricket, golf, karate, rugby and squash, meaning a spot on the programme is not impossible.

With a growing popularity cross the world, the Chinese have been working hard to make Wushu an item on the Olympic menu. They claim a victory for the first time to hold an unofficial competition on the sidelines of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

The Asian Games are seen as a good stepping stone with more than 140 athletes competing for 15 gold medals.

"It's a good opportunity to show the world that Wushu is such an beautiful, but at the same time, very competitive sport," said Gao Xiaojun, president of the Chinese Wushu Association (CWA).

However, patience are required. Sports for the 2012 Olympics have been decided and Wushu is not shortlisted for 2016.

"There is no need of rush to make the Wushu an Olympic competition, because I believe, what comes first is the cultural nature of the sports. It's a symbol of China. If Wushu exists as an competitive competition, it loses its essence," said Sardor Tashkhatjaev, secretary general of the Wushu Federation in Uzbekistan

The founders obviously don't think so. On the contrary, they believe an Olympics ID of Wushu will means a passport with free visas for Chinese culture.

"Olympics is such an important stage for the cultural communication, more powerful than Asian Games in terms of influence," said Gao. "It won't kill, but promote the Chinese culture through wushu"

The Chinese have been exercising each muscle to make Wushu into the Olympics menu by widening its presence worldwide and helping improving the skills of foreign practitioners.

"We know it will be hard. but we are trying. We have sent our coaches and provided free training abroad, and we have invited foreign athletes to come to train in China with Chinese athletes as well," said Gao.

However, revolutions need to make on both management and the Wushu formats.

Sun Jianming, coach of the Japanese Wushu team, suggested that CWA should simplify the formats of the sports.

"Chinese wushu has such a rich collection of routines, but most of them are too hard for beginners. They may appreciate it, but they won't practice," said Sun, a teammate of the famous Kung-fu star Jet Li when he was training at the Wushu team of Beijing.

"Why shouldn't we have something easier and more suitable for common people?" he asked.

Sun has been running his own Wushu club in Tokyo for more than 20 years, with more than 200 members following him to learn Taijiquan, or shadow boxing. In his eyes, both the boxing formats, featuring 24 moves, and the designed music are too "old".

"They were developed in 1950s, and never changed," he said.

Sun found his own way by reducing the standard set of 24 moves to eight.

"More seniors and youngsters thus join in, and they get to know Wushu is not only for the Jet Lees -- it's something every one can do," said the 51-year-old.

Sardor Tashkhatjaev, however, looks forward to more international cooperations.

"I hope they can airdrop some Chinese coaches for us," said the 38-year-old, a former national championship of Chinese Sanda (free sparring).

"I know the Japanese, the Iranians and many other athletes are coached by Chinese, and I hope the Chinese may consider spread the seeds in Uzbekistan too."

[GeneChing]

Here's some follow up on the TKD controversy Xiao3 Meng4 broke for us here.

Darlene Storm
Security Is Sexy
November 21, 2010 - 4:36 P.M.
Hackers attack with digital kung-fu, demand taekwondo gold medal

After the disqualification of a female athlete who was headed toward a gold medal and could literally kick the snot out of most of us in real life, hackers attacked and it turned into an online fight of digital kung-fu.

At the Asian Games held in China, Yang Shu-Chun was winning the taekwondo semi-final by 9-0. Her victory seemed a sure thing. But a referee suddenly ended the game, accused Yang of misplacing electronic sensors in her foot guards and removed her from the ring.

Some online chatter claims it is a conspiracy that disqualified Yang before she reached the gold medal race. China's contestant will now supposedly face a much weaker opponent in the gold-medal round.

Here's a little background about the socks (sockgate) in any official taekwondo game, according to WTF rules. All checks are made before the game begins and Yang's equipment was examined and passed prior to the fight. This included checking the electronic sensors in her foot guards. These sensors were introduced to make judging fairer by detecting when a taekwondo competitor scores a point by landing a kick on their opponent. Kicking Yang from the competition and "taking" her medal over these electronic socks turned into a major uproar.

TechBang reported that the Asian Taekwondo Union (ATU) further ticked off the Taiwanese by publishing an article on its official website that criticized the Taiwan team for its "shocking act of deception."

Hackers, allegedly from Taiwan, attacked the ATU website to display a middle finger flipped upward between the national flags of South Korea and the People's Republic of China. The defaced website also had messages that said, "we all Taiwanese," "shame on you," and demanded that the ATU "give our gold medal back."

TechBang posted a screenshot of the hacked ATU website before the message was taken down. The hacked site also showed a video that allegedly uncovered the "truth" behind the controversy and conspiracy that disqualified Yang. The video showed Yang removing extra sensors on her foot guards and giving them to her coach before the competition.

According to Taipei Times, ATU said their site went down "because of excessive traffic" and "remains paralyzed today for unknown reasons." ATU's "shocking act of deception" website statement was labeled as "inappropriate" by a South Korea-based World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) official.

Hanopolis reported Yang's statement, "I brought two pairs of WTF-certified socks with me. The Chinese examiner asked me to scrap the first pair, but the second pair passed the examination." Angry Taiwanese fans and politicians called for a boycott of Korean products. Protest rallies, Korean flag burnings, and a Facebook campaign were launched for the disqualified athlete.

Taiwan's government demanded an apology for ATU's statement and claimed the disqualification was unjust. ATU taekwondo chiefs apologized for calling "Taiwan's Yang Shu-chun a cheat" after she was disqualified at the Asian Games for wearing "illegal super socks," a Straits Time report said.

China said the disqualification was "regretful" but WTF will not hold a full inquiry until after Asian games are over.

[SPJ]

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/...34833&comments

tai chi play from taiwan in asia games 2010.

[GeneChing]

It made Reuters

INTERVIEW-Games-'Mummy's boy' Zou back in action for Asian Games
By Sabrina Mao and Ian Ransom
GUANGZHOU, China | Sun Nov 21, 2010 10:13am EST

GUANGZHOU, China Nov 21 (Reuters) - Olympic champion Zou Shiming's rise to the pinnacle of amateur boxing sprang from martial arts -- and the need to man up against bullying from the boys and girls who used to terrorise him.

"I was weak when I was young, always bullied by others, even girls," Zou told Reuters in an interview at the athletes' village at the Guangzhou Asian Games.

"My mother spoiled me and raised me like a girl, including tying my hair into pigtails."

The 29-year-old Zou, like Chinese boxing in general, now has much less of an identity crisis.

Zou put Chinese boxing on the map at the 2004 Athens Olympics, his awkward but effective style upsetting a string of opponents and securing bronze, China's first medal in the sport.

He then led his team mates to a shock four-medal haul at the 2008 Beijing Games, with his victory over Mongolian opponent Badar-Uugan Enkhbat in their light-flyweight final bringing up the hosts' 50th gold.

Zou will now lead China's 13-strong boxing team at the Asian Games, and like most other sports in Guangzhou, they are expected to take the spoils on home territory.

His achievements are a far cry from the boy who was too scared to tell his mother about his love of the ring.

"She did not understand me at the beginning of my career," said pint-sized and soft-spoken Zou.

"I was forbidden from practising so I trained secretly. She later supported me when I became successful."

MARTIAL ART

Zou's parents enrolled him in a school where he practised the gymnastic martial art of Wushu, but he began training on the sly with the school's boxing team.

"I realised boxing was my calling, but I was rewarded from Wushu in that I was able to combine its techniques with boxing to create a Chinese boxing style, not like the European and American styles that emphasise strength and power," Zou said.

Zou has little fear of Western opponents and says his toughest bouts inevitably come from Asia.

"It won't be easy to win at this Asian Games ... Asian boxers are all familiar with the skills and techniques of each other. They have studied my technique and my style a lot."

Unlike many Chinese Olympic champions, Zou's boxing has not brought endorsement riches or major celebrity. He still makes most of his money from the state, like the majority of athletes yoked to the country's Soviet-style sports system.

Despite the lure of big-money bouts, Zou has put off launching a professional career, at least until after the 2012 London Olympics where he intends to defend his title.

"The good thing is London will have less pressure for me, not like at the 2008 home Games where I felt great pressure around me," he said.

Few of his now grown-up childhood tormentors would want to step in the ring with Zou, who makes up for a short reach with nimble footwork and lightning-quick combinations. Zou has one opponent who wins all the time, however.

"In my family, my fiancee is the most powerful," he said.

[GeneChing]

Saturday November 20, 2010
Chai hopes for golden career in movies
By MARTIN CARVALHO

MALACCA: Having clinched many gold medals in the sports arena, wushu exponent Chai Fong Ying hopes to also fight her way to a gold in another competitive field – the silver screen.

When she decides to call it a day from participating in wushu tournaments, the petite 24-year-old Asian Games gold medallist will be ready to accept offers to act in action movies, just like her idol Datuk Michelle Yeoh.

Earlier, during her meeting with Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam at his office, Chai drew laughter from him when she requested a house as a reward for her achievements.

She is mindful the career of an international wushu exponent lasts only a few years.


Ready to leap into the movie world: Malaysia's Chai Fong Ying in action women's Taijiquan finals at the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou - GLENN GUAN/The Star

“I will appreciate it very much if the state can reward me with a house,” she said.

An amused Mohd Ali quipped that the request was surely one prompted by her 45-year-old mother Teh Mary who was also present.

Chai, who is pursuing an accountancy degree with Universiti Putra Malaysia, said she hoped to obtain her degree in due time as her studies had to take a backseat for wushu practice and competitions.

Chai won Malaysia’s first gold medal in the women’s combined taijijian and taijiquan event at the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou on Monday, defending the gold she won in the Doha Asian Games four years ago.

In 2007, she became the first Malaysian woman exponent to win a gold in the taijijian in the 24th SEA Games in Thailand.

She was also the only Malaysian gold medallist in the Wushu World Championships in Beijing the same year.

As for her immediate goals, Chai said she was aiming to “wushu” her way to more golds for the country in the World Wushu Championship in Turkey and Asean Games.

Both the events are scheduled for next year.

Mohd Ali said the state would consider Chai’s request for a home via the newly formed Malacca Sports Institute. A decision is expected to be announced early next year.

“We will make clear guidelines on specific rewards and incentives for outstanding athletes, including the considering rewarding Fong Ying with a new house,” he said.

He earlier presented Chai with a RM3,000 cheque and assured her employment with the state upon her graduation.

A movie career and a house? Wushu champions command more respect elsewhere for sure.

[sanjuro_ronin]

She's a cutie

[GeneChing]

Saturday November 27, 2010
MCA pledge RM200,000 to wushu for Asiad success
By SHAUN HO

KUALA LUMPUR: MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek pledged RM200,000 to the Wushu Federation of Malaysia as a recogntion of their achievements in the Guangzhou Asian Games.

Chua said the federation were very motivated and organised, and that they should be provided with any resources they needed.

“My deputy has said there will be no problem in seeking sponsors to raise that amount,” he said during a dinner he hosted to honour the national wushu team yesterday.

Chua also promised a RM30,000 cash prize to wushu gold medallist Chai Fong Ying and RM10,000 to bronze medallist Tai Cheau Xuen. Chua’s deputy, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, said MCA was glad to assist the federation as wushu was not a heavily sponsored sport.


Well done: MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek (centre) congratulating wushu’s Asian Games gold and bronze medallists, Chai Fong Ying (second from left) and Tai Cheau Xuen, at an appreciation dinner yesterday. Looking on are MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai (right) and Wushu Federation of Malaysia president Datuk Seri Kee Yong Wee.

“We are pleased with their achievements and we are here to help,” said Liow.

Also present at the dinner were Wushu Federation of Malaysia president Datuk Seri Kee Yong Wee and other MCA leaders.

Kee said the federation hoped wushu could be promoted to all.

“Although Malaysia did not win any medals in the last Olympic Games, our first medal in the next Games may come from wushu,” he said.

I've heard word that there are more renovations coming to wushu rules, especially for how team competition is scored. Sounds like it will reverse the pairings (quan/dao & jian/qiang) somehow. We'll report more when we get some hard facts.

[GeneChing]

Thursday, December 02, 2010
Iranian Cleric: Female Athletes Should Not Compete Abroad

Khadijeh Azadpour, who won the gold medal in Women's Wushu at the 16th Asian Games.

Khadijeh Azadpour, who won the gold medal in Women's Wushu at the 16th Asian Games.
December 02, 2010
An eminent Iranian cleric has said female athletes should not compete in sporting events abroad -- days after the Islamic Republic sent its biggest female contingent in recent years to the Asian Games, RFE/RL's Radio Farda reports.

Grand Ayatollah Safi Golpayegani said on November 30 that sending Iranian female athletes to international events is a "disgrace" and should not be allowed.

His comments come after Iran sent 88 sportswomen to China to take part in last month's 2010 Asian Games -- the biggest contingent since the 1979 Revolution. More than a dozen won medals, including Khadijeh Azadpour, who won a gold medal in the women's Wushu competition.

Golpayegani, 91, a Shi'ite source of emulation in the holy city of Qom, is not the first conservative cleric to deplore the participation of female Iranian athletes in foreign competitions.

Ahmad Alamolhoda, the Friday Prayer leader in Mashhad, argued in 2008 that sending Iranian sportswomen to the Beijing Olympic Games and choosing a female rower, Homa Hossein, to carry the Iranian flag at the opening ceremony constituted "waging war on Islamic values."

Denmark-based sports analyst Mehdi Rostampour told Radio Farda that the authorities are concerned by the Iranian women's success in the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou.

Ayatollah Abbas Kabi, a member of the Society of Qom Seminary Teachers, criticized Iranian state television for showing women competing in the event. He said it was "deplorable" and "bizarre."

Analyst Rostampour added that the authorities are worried that they will no longer be able to prevent female Iranian athletes from participating in international events: "They want to uproot this young plant before it grows."

Reminds me of Shadya - PBS Independent Lens - this was one of the best martial arts documentaries of 2009.

[GeneChing]

...at least they like wushu in Pakistan

Football ignored as hockey, wushu return to National Games
Agencies
(4 hours ago) Today


Pakistan's Ahmed Ijaz won a Wushu silver medal at last month's Asian Games in China. —Reuters Photo

LAHORE: The Pakistan Olympic Association, on Friday, announced the inclusion of hockey and wushu in the program for the upcoming National Games.

In a hurriedly called meeting, POA President Syed Arif Hasan said the decision was taken after considering the national hockey team’s gold-medal winning performance at the Asian Games and Pakistan’s medal success in Wushu.

Football, however, was unable to find its way back into the Games despite the game’s popularity and earlier reassurances given by officials.

“We have decided that 19 disciplines will now be part of the 31st National Games, after the inclusion of hockey and wushu,” Hasan told reporters after the meeting.

Meanwhile, Sports Minister for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Syed Aqil Shah outlined the security arrangements for the Games, which will be held in the provincial capital Peshawar.

“He (Shah) has assured us that all law enforcing agencies will be working together to ensure the smooth conduct of the games in Peshawar,” the POA President said.

Hasan said the POA has constituted a three-member evaluation committee, which will monitor the daily progress of security measures being taken for and during the Games.

[SteveLau]

Yesterday, the city local Legislative Council voted 40 vs 14 against applying to host the 2023 Asian Games. So Hong Kong not going to host the Games is now a fact. Period. I am glad of the outcome despite the government has tried in some degrees to impose hosting the Games. Forcing ourselves to do things that we are not quite capable of will unlikely yield expected good result.



Regards,

KC
Hong Kong

[GeneChing]

Didn't really follow it this year. But this story caught my attention.

Malaysian wushu winner stripped of Incheon 2014 gold medal after positive drugs test
Tuesday, 30 September 2014
By Nick Butler at the Main Media Centre in Incheon


Malaysia's Tai Cheau Xuen has been stipped of her wushu title after a failed drugs test, with gold now expected to go to Indonesia's Juwita Niza Wasni ©AFP/Getty

Wushu player Tai Cheau Xuen has been stripped of her Asian Games gold medal after testing positive for banned drugs, although the Malaysian team are appealing the decision, claiming there were problems with the handling of the athlete's sample.

Earlier today, the 22-year-old became the third athlete to fail a drugs test at the Games, but the first medallist.

She tested positive for the banned stimulant sibutramine, leading to the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) taking away the gold medal she had won in the nanquan and nandao all-round event.

In a statement this afternoon, OCA director general Husain Al Musallam confirmed that a urine sample collected during post-competition testing on Saturday September 20 showed traces of the substance, which is banned in the 2014 WADA Prohibited List.

She has consequently been disqualified from the Games, with her accreditation cancelled, while the findings will be forwarded to the International Wushu Federation and the Wushu Federation of Asia, as well as the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), for further action.

This means Indonesia's Juwita Niza Wasni, the runner-up behind Tai, will be promoted to gold.

Third-placed Wei Hong of China will take silver with Ivana Ardelian Irmanto, also of Indonesia, upgraded from fourth to the bronze medal position.


Cheau Xuen Tai of Malaysia performs during the nanquan section of the competition last Saturday (September 20) ©AFP/Getty Images

But in a strongly worded statement, Malaysia's Minister of Sport Khairy Jamaluddin has questioned "strange and suspicious" elements of the chain of custody in the handling of the urine sample when the test was taken.

They will appeal the decision to the Ad Hoc Committee of the Court of Arbitration for Sport here in Incheon.

Writing on Facebook, Jamaluddin queried why it had taken an alleged 16 hours for Tai's sample to reach the Doping Control Command Centre and raised concerns over the apparent "lameness of the chain of custody".

"We do not have any reason to question the validity of the sampling or analysis regarding the KIST (Institute of Science and Korea Technology), but the question was about the lameness [of the] CoC (Chain of Custody) process that should not be answered by that panel," he said.

"With such things, we need a decision challenging the Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) against Cheau Xuen perceived that there were doubts over integrity [of the] CoC process.

"During our aggressive fight against drug use among athletes, we also need to ensure that the process is conducted with integrity [of the] CoC because every athlete is entitled to fair and equitable treatment.

"This is also to ensure that there is no dispute or doubt on the anti-doping process."


Malaysian Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has revealed that they will appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport ©Facebook

Tai, who also won a gold medal at the Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar last December, follows Tajikistan footballer Khurshed Beknazarov and Cambodian soft tennis player Yi Sophany to register fail tests here.

But, unlike the other two, the announcement of her result was delayed because Tai had requested that the B-sample was tested to confirm the findings of the original analysis.

All three testing positive for stimulants, and both Sophany and Tai Cheau Xuen for sibutramine.

The drug, originally developed and marketed by Knoll Pharmaceuticals and most recently manufactured and marketed by Abbott Laboratories, is often found in diet and slimming pills but has been withdrawn from the markets after links were found with cardiovascular problems.

It was sold under a variety of brand names, including Reductil, Meridia and Sibutrex.

The highest profile case in sports involving sibutramine came when in 2010 when footballer Adrian Mutu tested positive for the drug, with the Romania and Fiorentina striker given a nine-month ban but only serving six months of it.

Under the WADA code, the substance is listed as a specified stimulant, which means it carries a maximum two-year ban with the possibility of a reduced sentence if the athlete can prove they took the substance inadvertently.

But, whatever the eventual punishment, the news is a major blow for Malaysia, who have now lost one of only three gold medals they have won at the Games, along with two in women's squash events.

Tai's victory, coming the day after the Opening Ceremony, was also greeted ecstatically back home, with Malaysian Prime Minister Mohd Najib Tun Razak among those to tweet his congratulations.

This is the first time an Asian Games gold medallist has been stripped of their award since Hiroshima 1994.

Then, 11 members of the Chinese swimming and cycling teams, winners of a total of 15 titles between them, were disqualified after failing tests for Dihydrotestosterone, a steroid.

Today's case is also the first positive case at an Asian Games in wushu, a martial art which made its Asian Games debut at Beijing 1990.

Contact the writer of this story at nick.butler@insidethegames.biz