Badminton gives RI first gold medal<\/p>\n
BANGKOK (Agencies): Badminton salvaged Indonesia's pride at
\nthe 13th Asian Games when its new-look men's team trounced an
\nunusually spiritless China for the gold medal on Friday.<\/p>\n
It was the first gold for Indonesia after six days of action
\nand an ideal start for a beleaguered badminton side which is
\naiming to scoop four gold medals here. Fielding its dream team
\nfresh from Thomas Cup triumph. Indonesia won three gold medals
\nfrom the sport in the previous Games in Hiroshima four years ago.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian badminton team is without former world champion
\nHariyanto Arbi, who pulled out through injury, and world doubles
\nchampion Sigit Budiarto, who is serving a one-year ban for
\nfailing a drug test. Injury also forced a last minute change in
\nits line-up, with Budi Santoso called up to replace Marlev
\nMainaky.<\/p>\n
Teenage Taufik Hidayat, only one of five Indonesian men's
\nshuttlers who are making their Asiad debut, was the toast of the
\nwinning team. The 17-year-old player upset world number three Luo
\nYigang 15-6, 15-5 to give Indonesia an unassailable 3-0 lead.<\/p>\n
The victory made amends for Indonesia's defeat in the women's
\nteam event which eventually won by a star-studded Chinese team
\nafter beating South Korea in the final early in the day.<\/p>\n
The Asian Games was rocked by the withdrawal of one of its
\nbiggest draws, Thai snooker star James Wattana, as China's
\nswimmers fought back.<\/p>\n
Wattana, the former world matchplay champion, quit the Thai
\nteam in distress after missing out on a bronze medal in the
\ndoubles.<\/p>\n
He had been expected to deliver three gold medals for Thailand
\nin snooker's Asiad debut, said he was pulling out of the team
\nevent because his form was \"terrible.\"<\/p>\n
Wattana cried after losing to Hong Kong's Chan Kwok-ming in
\nthe singles and was rocked again when Malaysia's Sam Chong and
\nOoi Chin-Kay defeated him and Chuchart Trittanapradit in their
\ndoubles semifinal.<\/p>\n
\"I think it is best for Thailand if I don't play the team event,\"
\nsaid Wattana.<\/p>\n
\"It's not an easy decision but it is the right thing to do -
\nit's the way it should be, they have a better chance without me
\nthe way I'm playing. I will be talking to the manager tonight.\"<\/p>\n
China won three titles in the top of the bill swimming and
\nalso won the women's table tennis titles.<\/p>\n
It took its gold medal tally past 60 while Japan managed only
\ntwo in the swimming and was way back with 23.<\/p>\n
China's Chen Hua won the women's 800m freestyle in 8:38.00,
\nadding it to her 400m free title and her gold medal in the 4x200m
\nfree relay.<\/p>\n
World record-holder Wu Yanyan of China won the women's 200m
\nindividual medley in a time of 2min 15.12sec. But her winning
\ntime was more than a second outside her world record, adding to
\nthe week of disappointment in the Chinese camp this week.<\/p>\n
Jiang Chengji won the men's 50m freestyle final in 22.38sec.
\nBut Japan were close behind.<\/p>\n
Takashi Yamamoto won the men's 200m butterfly in an Asian
\nrecord of 1:57.75.<\/p>\n
Japan also took the women's 4x100m medley relay while Malaysia
\ngot its first swimming title through Lim Keng-Liat in the men's
\n100m backstroke. He broke the Asian Games record with a time of
\n55.53sec, denying China's Fu Yong, who was second, a 100-200m
\ndouble.<\/p>\n
China beat North Korea 3-1 to win the women's table tennis
\nteam title here Friday -- adding to its victories over the North
\nKoreans at the world championships last year and the Asian
\nchampionships in October in Osaka.<\/p>\n
And Wang Shi-ting led Chinese Taipei to a politically charged
\n2-1 victory over mainland China, led by its number one Li Fang in
\nthe women's team tennis final.<\/p>\n
China suffered a blow in the canoeing and kayak events when
\nKazakhstan -- led by double gold medal winner Sergey Sergeyev
\ntook five of the seven gold medals on offer Friday.<\/p>\n
More stories -- Page 10<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/badminton-gives-ri-first-gold-medal-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }