Asean countries in medal rush
The long wait is over: Singapore's Feng Tianwei (R) celebrates with her coach after defeating South Korea in the semi-final of the women's team table tennis event at the Beijing Olympics yesterday. Picture: EPA
Saturday, August 16, 2008
IT WAS a good day for Asean countries at the Beijing Olympics yesterday with Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia were guaranteed at least silver medals.
Malaysia's hope Lee Chong Wei and China's World No 1 will battle for gold in the men's badminton after both won their semi-finals yesterday.
World champion Lin strolled over his training partner Chen Jin 21-12, 21-18 as China stepped up their campaign to clean sweep all five titles at this tournament.
In contrast, World No 2 Lee is gunning for his country's first ever Olympic gold in any sport, and has described the pressure as immense.
But the Malaysian star shook off early nerves yesterday to fight off a ferocious challenge from South Korea's champion Lee Hyunil for a 21-18, 13-21, 21-13 victory.
In the men's doubles, China's Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng downed South Korea's Lee Jae Jin and Hwang Ji Man to reach the final after another unruly match between the two nations.
The win set up a gold medal showdown with Indonesia's Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan.
The Chinese were called for serving faults during the match, prompting deafening howls of protest from the crowd and sending the Chinese coach over to the chair on one occasion to angrily dispute the ruling.
The controversy appeared to rattle the South Koreans who were edged out in the first game and then fell apart in the second, going down 22-20, 21-8.
In the other semi-final, the Indonesian world champions powered into the final over Denmark veterans Lars Paaske and Jonas Rasmussen.
The top seeds battered the Danes into submission for a 21-19, 21-17 victory.
IN table tennis, Singapore bagged their first Olympic medal in 48 years yesterday when their players made the final of the women's team event by beating South Korea.
It has been a long wait for the city state which last made the podium at the 1960 Rome Olympics when weightlifter Tan Howe Liang won silver their only previous medal.
Feng Tianwei was Singapore's heroine.
She got the ball rolling with a 11-5, 11-5, 11-2 victory over Dang Ye-seo before World No 6 Li Jiawei lost to Kim Kyung-ah 5-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-6, 11-9.
Li then paired with Wang Yue Gu, showing perfect teamwork to beat Kim and Park Mi-young 11-7, 11-6, 11-9 in the doubles.
But Dang bounced back to crush an exhausted Wang 11-8, 14-12, 11-9.
With the match tied at 2-2, Singapore's destiny fell to Feng, who displayed courage to beat a tenacious Park 11-7, 12-10, 3-11, 11-9.Agencies
Malaysia's hope Lee Chong Wei and China's World No 1 will battle for gold in the men's badminton after both won their semi-finals yesterday.
World champion Lin strolled over his training partner Chen Jin 21-12, 21-18 as China stepped up their campaign to clean sweep all five titles at this tournament.
In contrast, World No 2 Lee is gunning for his country's first ever Olympic gold in any sport, and has described the pressure as immense.
But the Malaysian star shook off early nerves yesterday to fight off a ferocious challenge from South Korea's champion Lee Hyunil for a 21-18, 13-21, 21-13 victory.
In the men's doubles, China's Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng downed South Korea's Lee Jae Jin and Hwang Ji Man to reach the final after another unruly match between the two nations.
The win set up a gold medal showdown with Indonesia's Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan.
The Chinese were called for serving faults during the match, prompting deafening howls of protest from the crowd and sending the Chinese coach over to the chair on one occasion to angrily dispute the ruling.
The controversy appeared to rattle the South Koreans who were edged out in the first game and then fell apart in the second, going down 22-20, 21-8.
In the other semi-final, the Indonesian world champions powered into the final over Denmark veterans Lars Paaske and Jonas Rasmussen.
The top seeds battered the Danes into submission for a 21-19, 21-17 victory.
IN table tennis, Singapore bagged their first Olympic medal in 48 years yesterday when their players made the final of the women's team event by beating South Korea.
It has been a long wait for the city state which last made the podium at the 1960 Rome Olympics when weightlifter Tan Howe Liang won silver their only previous medal.
Feng Tianwei was Singapore's heroine.
She got the ball rolling with a 11-5, 11-5, 11-2 victory over Dang Ye-seo before World No 6 Li Jiawei lost to Kim Kyung-ah 5-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-6, 11-9.
Li then paired with Wang Yue Gu, showing perfect teamwork to beat Kim and Park Mi-young 11-7, 11-6, 11-9 in the doubles.
But Dang bounced back to crush an exhausted Wang 11-8, 14-12, 11-9.
With the match tied at 2-2, Singapore's destiny fell to Feng, who displayed courage to beat a tenacious Park 11-7, 12-10, 3-11, 11-9.Agencies
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