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29 March 2024

Asian Games hailed as 'extraordinary' as China win more gold

Podium assistants attend the medal ceremony after the China-South Korea basketball final at the Guangzhou international sport arena during the 16th Asian Games. (AFP)

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By AFP

An "extraordinary" Asian Games on Saturday prepared to close after 15 days of thrills and spills that has seen China reinforce its sporting credentials and Japan slip further behind.

On the last day of action at an event unprecedented in size and scale in Asiad history, China added yet another gold medal to its glittering haul when Zhou Chunxiu defended her women's marathon title.

The 2007 London marathon winner clocked a season best of 2hr 25min 00sec, with teammate Zhu Xiaolin taking silver and North Korea's Kim Kum-Ok the bronze.

It pushed the host nation's gold tally up to 198 and its total medals to a whopping 414 -- both Asian Games records.

While China has basked in its most successful Asiad ever, its arch-rival Japan has performed worse then expected, winning just 48 titles for an overall 215 medals.

It leaves them well behind South Korea, in both the gold medal stakes and total medal. The Koreans have won 75 gold and 230 altogether.

"We accept this result earnestly and seriously as our potential in Asia to make careful preparations for the London Olympics," said Japan chef-de-mission Noriyuki Ichihara.

While the traditional big three dominated, 36 of the 45 countries and territories taking part managed to climb the podium, with some notable successes.

Macau won its first gold medal ever through Jia Rui in the men's wushu and Bangladesh matched that breakthrough, claiming the men's cricket title in an exciting victory over Afghanistan.

Oman and Nepal propped up the table with a single bronze each, but there was no joy for minnows like Timor-Leste, Maldives, Turkmenistan, Brunei and Cambodia.

Another four titles will be decided Saturday before the closing ceremony -- the men's marathon, women's volleyball and the men's and women's sepaktakraw doubles showdowns.

Despite early problems with empty stadiums and complaints about the long distances athletes needed to travel to get to venues, Olympic Council of Asia president Sheikh Ahmed Al Fahad Al Sabah had nothing but praise.

"Guangzhou looked to challenge Beijing (Olympics) and I think they did it successfully," said the Kuwaiti.

"Some Olympic committees and OCA colleagues say there is the same level compared to Beijing or even better. Athletes in the village say facilities were even better than Beijing.

"Guangzhou made a great a success. I would say they were an extraordinary Games."

Organising committee deputy secretary-general Xu Ruisheng said he too was pleased with the outcome of an event that took seven years to plan and cost billions of dollars, transforming this southern metropolis.

"There have been many touching stories every day at all of the competition venues," he said.

"Audiences have shown their enthusiasm and athletes have performed at their best. This is what the Games needed."

After a widely-acclaimed opening ceremony, the Games close later Saturday with Korean pop sensation Rain performing as part of the handover to the 2014 host -- Incheon.

The pop star also known as Jung Ji-Hoon will sing three songs in an extravaganza televised to billions of people throughout the region.