Mon, Sep 30, 2002 page20

• Taiwan going for gold at Games

  AIMING LOW While Taiwan's team isn't expected to get as many gold medals as it did last time, seccess is expected tennis, basketball, billiards and bowling

  • By Jules Quartly / STAFF REPORTER
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  Taiwan is going for gold at the 14th Asian Games but is unlikely to return with as many medals as it won at the previous Games, the country's delegation leader said yesterday.

  While Taiwan's 520-member team is one of the largest of the 44 nations taking part, its athletes are unlikely to match their tally of 77 medals at the previous Games in Bangkok four years ago.

  

  Taiwan's Chiu Chi-yi, in white, tosses the ball over Qatar's Hashim Zadian Basher during a match at the 14th Busan Asian Games held in Busan, South Korea, yesterday.

  PHOTO: AP

  Powerhouse China is almost certain to top the standings, with host South Korea expected to beat its eternal rival, Japan. North Korea and Thailand will likely compete for fourth and fifth place with Taiwan and a host of smaller countries battling to be the best of the rest.

  Pressed to assess Taiwan's chances by the Taipei Times, deputy mission chief Lin Der-chia (林德嘉) said five gold medals was the modest target for Taiwan this year.

  At the Bangkok Asian Games, Taiwan won 19 gold medals, 17 silvers and 41 bronzes.

  "This time will be more difficult," Lin said. "Many of the minor sports and recreational sports we did well in the past have been cut.

  "I think it will be difficult to get much more than five golds this time round," Lin said, identifying taekwondo, tennis, baseball and softball, billiards and golf as the sports Taiwan could do well in. "These are our major sports now."

  Mission Chief Chuan Tsun-che (莊村徹), however, was more upbeat about his country's chances. As the president of both the Asian Pocket Billiards Union and the Chinese Taipei Billiards Association, he was particularly emphatic about Taiwan's chances in the pool events.

  Yang Ching-shun (楊清順) won gold in the nine-ball singles at the Bangkok Asian Games and is hoping for repeat success in Busan this time round. Backed up by a 12-man team, Taiwan could surprise everyone in this event, Chuan said.

  Chuan said he was also hopeful the men's basketball team could repeat its success at the 1997 East Asian Games, which were also held in Busan.

  Young tennis standout Wang Yeu-tzuoo (王宇佐) and Janet Lee (李慧芝), who plays doubles with Anna Kournikova, should have a chance in the tennis competition, though they will face stiff resistance from Japan and improving China.

  Perhaps Taiwan's best chance of a medal, however, will come in bowling because so many youngsters play it back home. The team of 12 provides a mix of youth and experience and at least half of them have a genuine chance of picking up a medal, commentators have said.

  Kao Po-song (高柏松) briefly surged into the lead at the Taiwan Open held recently at the Sunrise Golf and Country Club in Taoyuan and if he keeps up his form at the Asiad Country Golf course, he has the ability to snatch gold.

  South Korean journalists have surprisingly, perhaps, identified Taiwan's 18-man cycling team as a threat, citing the strength of the nation's cycling industry and the world class Tour of Taiwan.

  Taiwan's women's soccer team has done well at recent tournaments and could be the surprise package of the event, though China has traditionally dominated.

  China is expected to take around 150 of the total 420 gold medals on offer in 38 sports, including modern pentathlon and bodybuilding, which debut at this Games.

  South Korea has the biggest delegation of athletes and officials (1,008) and with "home-court advantage" could do even better than expected, with estimates of 80 gold medals probably being on the conservative side.

  Japan has a tradition of doing well in swimming and track and field and has sent a 980-member delegation with 659 athletes to compete in every sport except taekwondo. Seventy to 80 gold medals are expected.

  North Korea has always done well in judo and shooting and has generally done OK at the Asian Games since it started competing in 1974. This time it is aiming for around 10 gold medals and fourth place.

  Taiwan will likely battle it out with Thailand, Kazakhstan and Iran for fifth position in the medal standings, with Thailand having a slight edge.
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