Badminton gives RI first gold medal

Sat, 12 Dec 1998, 00:00 WIB | Source: JP

BANGKOK (Agencies): Badminton salvaged Indonesia's pride at
the 13th Asian Games when its new-look men's team trounced an
unusually spiritless China for the gold medal on Friday.

It was the first gold for Indonesia after six days of action
and an ideal start for a beleaguered badminton side which is
aiming to scoop four gold medals here. Fielding its dream team
fresh from Thomas Cup triumph. Indonesia won three gold medals
from the sport in the previous Games in Hiroshima four years ago.

The Indonesian badminton team is without former world champion
Hariyanto Arbi, who pulled out through injury, and world doubles
champion Sigit Budiarto, who is serving a one-year ban for
failing a drug test. Injury also forced a last minute change in
its line-up, with Budi Santoso called up to replace Marlev
Mainaky.

Teenage Taufik Hidayat, only one of five Indonesian men's
shuttlers who are making their Asiad debut, was the toast of the
winning team. The 17-year-old player upset world number three Luo
Yigang 15-6, 15-5 to give Indonesia an unassailable 3-0 lead.

The victory made amends for Indonesia's defeat in the women's
team event which eventually won by a star-studded Chinese team
after beating South Korea in the final early in the day.

The Asian Games was rocked by the withdrawal of one of its
biggest draws, Thai snooker star James Wattana, as China's
swimmers fought back.

Wattana, the former world matchplay champion, quit the Thai
team in distress after missing out on a bronze medal in the
doubles.

He had been expected to deliver three gold medals for Thailand
in snooker's Asiad debut, said he was pulling out of the team
event because his form was "terrible."

Wattana cried after losing to Hong Kong's Chan Kwok-ming in
the singles and was rocked again when Malaysia's Sam Chong and
Ooi Chin-Kay defeated him and Chuchart Trittanapradit in their
doubles semifinal.

"I think it is best for Thailand if I don't play the team event,"
said Wattana.

"It's not an easy decision but it is the right thing to do -
it's the way it should be, they have a better chance without me
the way I'm playing. I will be talking to the manager tonight."

China won three titles in the top of the bill swimming and
also won the women's table tennis titles.

It took its gold medal tally past 60 while Japan managed only
two in the swimming and was way back with 23.

China's Chen Hua won the women's 800m freestyle in 8:38.00,
adding it to her 400m free title and her gold medal in the 4x200m
free relay.

World record-holder Wu Yanyan of China won the women's 200m
individual medley in a time of 2min 15.12sec. But her winning
time was more than a second outside her world record, adding to
the week of disappointment in the Chinese camp this week.

Jiang Chengji won the men's 50m freestyle final in 22.38sec.
But Japan were close behind.

Takashi Yamamoto won the men's 200m butterfly in an Asian
record of 1:57.75.

Japan also took the women's 4x100m medley relay while Malaysia
got its first swimming title through Lim Keng-Liat in the men's
100m backstroke. He broke the Asian Games record with a time of
55.53sec, denying China's Fu Yong, who was second, a 100-200m
double.

China beat North Korea 3-1 to win the women's table tennis
team title here Friday -- adding to its victories over the North
Koreans at the world championships last year and the Asian
championships in October in Osaka.

And Wang Shi-ting led Chinese Taipei to a politically charged
2-1 victory over mainland China, led by its number one Li Fang in
the women's team tennis final.

China suffered a blow in the canoeing and kayak events when
Kazakhstan -- led by double gold medal winner Sergey Sergeyev
took five of the seven gold medals on offer Friday.