Fans overwhelm stadium; Japan wins battle in pool

Fans overwhelm stadium; Japan wins battle in pool

BANGKOK (AP): Host Thailand captured three gold medals to cheer about Saturday, but thousands of fans suffered a double blow -- they couldn't get in to see their soccer team, and then it lost.

Both setbacks led to a bit of bottle throwing, and some of those without tickets tried to climb the fences. Police told them to go home and watch on television, and a giant TV screen was set up outside the stadium too.

But reaction at the end of Qatar's 2-1 victory was fairly mild since both teams advanced to the quarterfinals anyway. Meanwhile, the Thais won two golds at the Southeast Asian sport of sepak takraw -- a no-hands version of volleyball involving some highly athletic kicking of a small rattan ball. They also won a gold in bowling.

For China's women's weightlifters, it was business as usual -- another day, another world record and another gold medal. With one day left in the women's competition, Wei Xiangying became the latest record-breaker, winning the 75-kilogram division with an Asian record total of 242.5 kilograms and a world record snatch of 115.

Hers was one of nine Chinese gold medals for the day, lifting China's total to 70 after six full days of competition.

Japan was well behind with 26, but had the satisfaction of winning the overall battle in the swimming pool with 15 golds to China's 13. In the last games in Hiroshima in 1994, China trounced the Japanese 23-5, but seven of its swimmers were caught for using steroids.

On swimming's final day here, Japan had victories from Tomoko Hagiwara in the women's 200-meter backstroke, the men's 4x100 medley team and -- the clincher -- Masato Hirano in the 1,500-meter freestyle, the last of 32 events.

For China, Xiong Quoming, one of the seven caught for doping in 1994, won the men's 200-meter medley, and Shan Ying added a 50-meter freestyle gold to her earlier 100 triumph.

"This time we set the goal of beating China and we've achieved the goal," said Japan's Mai Nakamura, second in the 200-meter backstroke Saturday.

But China's head coach Zhang Xiong insisted, "I don't see this as a loss. Taking two less golds than Japan is not a loss."

South Korea was two behind the Japanese with 24 golds after swimmer Cho Hee-yeon's victory in the women's 200-meter butterfly, the Koreans' triumph over Japan in the men's tennis team final, and a 1-2 finish in men's epee fencing.

Kazakhstan had 12 with Andrey Makarov's victory in 94-kilogram division men's weightlifting.

Chinese Taipei won three bowling gold medals -- men's and women's teams and women's trios, and had 11 golds, followed by the 10 of Thailand, which won men's bowling trios.

Thai fans went into frenzied celebrations after the host sepak takraw teams beat Myanmar 15-6, 15-13; 15-5, 15-9; 15-2, 15-4 for the women's gold medal, and then beat archrival Malaysia 15-9, 15-3; 15-3, 15-5; 15-5, 15-5 for the men's.

But for an estimated 80,000 Thais, attention was focused on trying to get into the 60,000-seat Rajamangala National Stadium for Thailand's soccer game against Qatar.

One person was slightly hurt in the jostling but did not require hospital treatment, said Torpong Sewarmra, a spokesman for Asian Games organizers.

Some people threw plastic bottles of water at police; others tried clambering over stadium fences and were repelled by police, he said.

People also threw bottles, cans and shoes that members of the crowd lost in the crush at a ticketing booth that shut down at 8 a.m., having sold out, said Nop Beaugot, who traveled 30 kilometers (18 miles) by bus in hopes of seeing the match.

Advancing along with the Thais and Qatar to the quarterfinals were Iran and China. Iran beat the Chinese 2-1 Saturday in their final second-round game. In the quarters, they will join Kuwait, South Korea, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

Pakistan's Zarak Jehan beat compatriot Amjad Khan, the 18-year-old Pakistan Open champion, 1-9, 9-0, 6-9, 9-7, 9-3 for the gold medal in squash, making its Asian Games debut.

Malaysia's Nicol David, the top seed, beat Hong Kong's Chiu Wing-yin 9-3, 9-1, 9-6 for the women's gold in the sport, one of the few in these games where China has not won a medal.

China beat South Korea for the men's team gold in table tennis, and swept all four of the day's gold medals in shooting. It also triumphed over Japan and South Korea in the rhythmic gymnastics team event.