China denies Taiwan's Vice Premier at Games
China denies Taiwan's Vice Premier at Games
BEIJING (Agencies): China yesterday quoted the president of
the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) as saying that it had not
invited Taiwan vice premier Hsu Li-teh to attend the Asian Games
in Hiroshima next month.
Japan has said it will issue a visa to the vice premier to
attend the games, due to start in October, in his capacity as
chairman of a committee heading Taiwan's bid to host the 2002
Asian Games and said the visit is unrelated to politics.
The Xinhua newsagency quoted Wei Jizhong, secretary general of
China's Olympic Committee, as saying on his return from Kuwait
that he had met OCA president Sheikh Fahad Al-ahmad, whom he
quoted as saying:
"I cannot understand why the Japanese government allows Hsu
Li-teh to attend the Asian Games. I denied to invite Hsu and I
think the denial is in accordance with the national interests of
China, with the principles of the Olympic movement and it saves
the OCA from a dilemma."
China has repeatedly warned Japan that it faces "grave
consequences" if it does not withdraw Hsu's visa.
New challenge
In Seoul, South Korea's formidable weightlifters are in peak
form but still face being knocked off their perch at the Asian
Games by an influx of world-class rivals from the former Soviet
Union.
"We expect at least three or four gold medals, but the outcome
may fall short of our expectations," said Kim Soo-Hyon of the
Korea Weightlifting Federation.
South Korean weightlifters won five of the ten golds for men
in the 1990 Asiad in Beijing. That knocked the hosts out of first
place in the traditional pecking order. But Chinese women swept
all nine gold medals clean in 1990 and remain invincible in Asia.
"Competition seems tougher this year in the men's division
because of strong new contenders from Khazakstan and four other
former Soviet republics," Kim said.
The five republics are taking part in the Games for the first
time with many top-ranked players in weightlifting, boxing and
wrestling, which all had been South Korea's traditional medal
boxes.
South Korea plans to send 19 weightlifters, including nine
women, with its hopes pinned on Chun Byung-Kwan and Ko Kwang-Ku.
Chun, 25, a gold medalist in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona,
has led the South Korean weightlifting team since placing second
in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. He bagged a gold medal in the 1990
Asiad.
Chun performed badly last year while suffering from a string
of injuries. He was fourth at the 1993 world championships in
Australia. Since then, he has gained weight, forcing him to move
from 56 kilograms to 59 kg for the Hiroshima contest from Oct. 2.