Doping cases overshadow Asian Games
AFP
September 30, 2014, 11:34 pm
Incheon (South Korea) (AFP) - Doping controversies overshadowed the Asian Games on Tuesday as North and South Korea set up an explosive men's football final and uproar greeted some contentious boxing decisions.
Malaysia's Tai Cheau Xuen was stripped of her wushu gold medal and Iraqi superheavyweight weightlifter Mohammed Al Aifuri was also caught as doping cases ticked up to four. It was the Iraqi's second offence in six years.
Malaysia said they would appeal the ruling against Tai, without giving details of how it would be fought. A Tajik footballer and a Cambodian soft tennis player were expelled for doping earlier.
Doping was not the only controversy. Boxing judges found themselves in the spotlight over a series of decisions that went in favour of South Korean fighters.
The husband of Indian lightweight Sarita Devi launched an expletive-laden tirade and tangled with security after South Korea's Park Ji-Na was controversially awarded their semi-final bout.
Mongolia's male bantamweight Tugstsogt Nyambayar contentiously lost a decision against Ham Sang-Myeong, prompting a brief sit-in protest and an official complaint.
Later, Indian light flyweight Devendro Singh Laishram looked well on top against Shin Jong-Hun but the South Korean was handed their quarter-final on a unanimous points verdict.
The International Boxing Association (AIBA) said it was not possible to appeal judges' decisions.
"This is a very sad day. We want to see fair play in sport," Mongolia's chef de mission Badmaanyambuu Bat Erdene told AFP.
- 'We'll be ready' -
China surged to 125 golds, 71 ahead of hosts South Korea, with four days' competition remaining in the quadrennial regional Olympics in Incheon, west of Seoul.
Xie Wenjun cemented his status as the heir to China's former Olympic champion and ex-world record-holder Liu Xiang when he won the 110m hurdles in 13.36sec.
Li Jinzhe won the men's long jump and Li Ling took out the women's pole vault as China enjoyed a positive evening at the near-empty, 62,000-seat Incheon Main Stadium.
In football, North Korea's Jong Il-Gwan curled in the extra-time free-kick that downed Iraq 1-0 but he will miss the men's final after being sent off shortly afterwards.
South Korea joined them in Thursday's highly anticipated final, between two countries officially still at war, when they beat Thailand 2-0 in the last four.
Another bitter Asian rivalry will play out in the hockey final when defending champions Pakistan take on India following their semi-final wins on Tuesday.
The Pakistanis, who failed to qualify for this year's World Cup, were in tears after their thrilling 6-5 win on penalties against Malaysia.
"God is great," said their coach Shahnaz Sheikh. "It should be a very good final against India. We will be ready for them."
The judging row at the boxing overshadowed a positive day for India's five-time women's world champion Mary Kom, who reached her first Asian Games final.
China's divers pushed their bid for a perfect 10-title haul when Chen Ruolin and Liu Hiuxia won the women's synchronised 10m platform and Cao Yuan and Lin Yue followed suit in the men's 3m springboard.
And China's peerless table tennis players took the first two golds at the Games when they combined to win the men's and women's team titles.
