GUANGZHOU, China, (Reuters) – Bangladesh cricketers dashed Afghan dreams of taking home a first Asian Games gold medal to their war-torn country, while Chinese athletes burst with pride after smashing their own Games record yesterday.
Teenager Shabbir Rahaman Roman belted two sixes in a swashbuckling 33 not out as Bangladesh beat Afghanistan by five wickets with just three balls to spare to claim the Twenty20 title.
Women’s karate fighter Feng Lanlan needed only a single blow to fell her Japanese opponent in the 68kg kumite class — a result that gave China a record 184th gold at a single Asiad. “Yesterday I was reading the news and they were talking about China winning the 184th gold medal, but I never expected it would be me,” said the 26-year-old Asian champion.
“I feel so lucky, this is beyond expectation.”
China finished with 197 gold medals, 14 more than their 1990 haul and 122 more than second-placed South Korea. Five titles will be decided today before the closing ceremony.
While China were celebrating their record haul, Bangladesh were equally elated by winning their first ever Asiad title.
Afghanistan’s band of refugee camp-raised players had already achieved hero status at home after humbling a second-string Pakistan side in the semi-final.
If the gold could have been won on good-will alone, Afghanistan would have been runaway winners but Bangladesh were not in a charitable mood and they smashed the ball around the ground in the final overs to reach the winning target of 119.
“We played like tigers today,” the green-eyed and wiry Rahaman Roman told Reuters after flaying the attack in the penultimate over. “This is the happiest day of my life.”
The small contingent of Afghan fans echoed their players’ sentiments, disappointed but proud of their achievement.
“The world knows us for fighting, bombs and bullets but we want to (tell) the world that we are not these things only,” said Abdul Khan, waving his country’s tri-colour flag.
Pakistan’s players had wept bitter tears after their semi-final loss but restored some pride by winning the bronze with a six-wicket win over Sri Lanka in cricket’s debut at the Games.
Pakistan’s coach brought a second-string team but rapped India for not sending one at all.
“God knows why they are not here. Someone should have added pressure on them,” coach Mohd Sadique said.
China’s 100m champion Lao Yi led his team to their first 4x100m relay gold in 20 years on the penultimate night of the track and field, while India rail worker Preeja Sreedharan looked forward to better times ahead when she added a silver to her thrilling 10,000m gold on the athletics’ opening night.
“India Railway Sports Promotion Board will promote my position and our government will give me a praise. So it can improve my standard of living,” she said.
For Japan’s double Olympic champion and eight-times world champion wrestler Saori Yoshida, it was a case of been-there-done-that as she defeated China’s Zhang Lan to clinch her third consecutive women’s freestyle 55kg title.
“I still get excited every time I win,” she insisted after a 120th straight victory.
