NOVEMBER 17, 20 CHINA DAILY PAGE 7
OFF TRACK
China media slams ‘worst ever’ team
China’s media showered invective on its national soccer team on Tues-
day, calling the 3-0 loss to the Republic of Korea a humiliating nightmare
and labeling the team the worst in the nation’s history.
Three-time champion ROK knocked China out of the Asian Games
competition Monday, dominating the hosts in front of 43,000 disap-
pointed Chinese fans in the last 16 clash.
“This series of matches by the team that has been
called ‘China’s worst Olympic team in history’ has ROK “MET FEW
proved that they are the worst in history,” the Yang- THREATS FROM
tze Evening News screamed. A SEEMINGLY
The Chinese side lost to their fiercest rivals, the AMATEURISH
ROK and Japan, by identical scores. SIDE WHO
Monday’s defeat “rubbed salt into the wounds CREATED FEW
of Chinese soccer, which has been hit hard in CHANCES AND
the last few years by match-fixing, crooked SHOTS AND
referees and illegal gambling,” Xinhua news HAD A FRAGILE
agency said.
The Koreans “met few threats from a seemingly
DEFENSE.”
amateurish side who created few chances and shots and had a fragile
defense.”
Leading web portal Sina.com said the loss was an insult to the fans, add-
ing there was little hope for the future of a youth side that is “paralyzed by
fear” of their East Asian opponents.
According to a Sina survey, 91 percent of over 17,000 respondents said
there was no hope for the team, while 95 percent said that their technical
ability was lagging far behind that of the ROK.
‘FROG KING’ KITAJIMA DOWN, BUT NOT OUT
Fading four-time Olympic champion Kosuke Kitajima insists his defeat at the Asian
Games was not in vain as a younger teammate took over the reins to spur Japan’s gold
medal hunt.
The 28-year-old Kitajima finished fourth in the 100m breaststroke, which was won
by Ryo Tateishi, seven years his junior. Kitajima also finished fourth in the 50m the day
before.
“Crownless? Kitajima in a pinch!” blared a headline in the Nikkan Sports daily Tuesday,
a day after his hopes of a third straight Asian Games 100m-200m breaststroke double
were shattered.
“If Ryo (Tateishi) did not win, what I did meant nothing,” Kitajima told Japanese media
as he refocused himself on Thursday’s 200m.
“I may have been dragging down the team, but he’s done a lot to pump up the team,” he
said, adding that his gold medal drought was “no problem in particular.”
It was the first time in eight Asian Games races that Kitajima missed the podium.
AGENCE FRANCE - PRESSE AGENCE FRANCE - PRESSE
sand and tar-covered fairways
‘Horse-whistler’ Afghans getting where ball finders are a necessity.
“In terms of McDonald’s, we
only have the hamburgers — no
The 22-year-old’s best clean and
jerk of 127kg was then enough to
works urine magic a golf lesson “The only thing we can do is play
better,” he said.
chips, no ice-cream, no oily foods rack up a combined total of 230kg,
Doping controls of horses are — so it doesn’t have much influ- breaking the previous aggregate
never an easy thing to carry off, The only golf course in Afghani- “We have practiced here and ence on our performance,” said best of 226kg set by compatriot
but New Zealand veterinarian stan is a rock-strewn nine-hole also back home, but none of our Cheung. Qiu Hongxia in October 2006.
Anthony Parsons has a unique way affair in the capital Kabul, which players have participated in an “You see we did well in the She was awarded a special tro-
of dealing with the noble beasts. puts Ali Ahmad Fazel and Hash- international competition before race.” phy and $10,000 in prize money.
Parsons takes blood and urine mattulah Sarwaree at a distinct so, to be honest, I don’t expect “I’m very glad to be the first
samples from horses competing at
the Guangzhou equestrian venue
disadvantage at the Asian Games.
The two are the first players from
them to win a medal.” Li reaps reward athlete to win this award,” said Li
while receiving the reward from
as part of the Asian Games, and their war-ravaged country ever to HK medalist for world records Feng Jianzhong, China’s deputy
says the blood tests invariably pass compete at an Asiad or any other
off without incident. international golf event. likes his burgers Weightlifter Li Ping became the
first athlete in the history of the
sports minister on Monday.
“The award is a great encour-
The urine samples, however, are While the sport was introduced Hong Kong’s Asian Games Asian Games to win the Mt Kun- agement for me and I hope it will
a different kettle of fish. to the country more than 40 years double silver medalist Cheung lun World Record Award after encourage more athletes to break
“We collect the horses coming ago, it is only since 2004 that the King-Lok said Tuesday a strict diet setting two world records on the the world record.”
out of the arena and put them in a public has been allowed to play. was key to cycling success — but way to defending her title in the The award is sponsored by the
quiet stable,” said the 51-year-old. “Our national golf federation burgers are fine. women’s -53kg class on Sunday. JDB Group, which is providing
“I whistle my secret little tune to only formed two-and-a-half years “The Hong Kong team pays a lot Li, the 2007 world champion, the official water drink, Kunlun
the horse,” he said. “Most horses will ago,” said team coach Mohammad of attention to diet, just like other snatched 103kg to beat the previ- Mountain natural mineral water,
urinate when they are unsaddled Jama Hekmati, who added that the teams do,” said Cheung, who took ous best of 102kg set by Ri Song- at the Asiad.
and relax after competing.” lush greens of the Dragon Lake silver in the individual men’s pur- hui of the Democratic People’s It is the first time the Asian
Parsons did not reveal which tune Golf Club were a real eye-opener. suit on Sunday and again in the Republic of Korea (DPRK) at the Games has offered such an award
he whistles to the urinating horses. His players are more used to team event on Tuesday. 2002 Busan Asian Games. to athletes.