Chinese juggernaught rolls towards 2010 Asian Games

At the last Asian Games in 2006 China demolished all comers and a year out from hosting the multi-sport spectacular on home turf it is working hard to cement that dominance.

The Doha Asian Games were the most ambitious in the event's 55-year history with more athletes from more countries than ever before.

In Guangzhou in 2010, organisers plan to take it to the next level with 12,000 athletes and officials converging on China from November 12-27.

There will be 42 sports, up from 39 at the last Games, as the city tries to outdo anything seen before.

And Chinese athletes are sure to be at the forefront.

After ending on top of the medal table at the Beijing Olympics, ousting the United States for the first time, it is inconceivable that any Asian nation will challenge them.

In Doha, China topped the medal table with 165 gold. South Korea came second (58), with Japan (50), Kazakhstan (23) and Thailand (13) rounding out the top five.

With a home crowd to spur them on and more sports to excel in, China will be aiming to build on what they achieved in Doha, and then Beijing.

Olympic Council of Asia president Sheikh Ahmad Al Sabah said he had no problem with China being so dominant, and believes it will help ensure packed stadiums.

"China is a world sporting powerhouse and every host country tries its best to perform better in its backyard and I am sure Chinese athletes will try to do the same," he told AFP.

"However I am confident that other countries like Japan, Korea, India, Thailand and Kazakhstan will run them close in a majority of the sports.

"We are extremely confident that the stadiums will be full," he added.

"The organizing committee has already started receiving a large number of enquiries for tickets."

For Asian athletes, next year's Asiad is the high point of their sporting year and a key preparation for the London Olympics in 2012.

Of those likely to shine, fit-again hurdler Liu Xiang and 200m butterfly world record holder Liu Zige are set to be star draws, while China will also have its world-beating diving, table tennis and badminton teams on show.

Despite having a population almost as large as China, fellow Asian giant India has always struggled to match its neighbour, and the traditional race to be second best once again looks to be between Japan and South Korea.

India though could benefit from hosting the Commonwealth Games just a month ahead of the Asian Games.

Pride will be on the line in New Delhi and big money has been set aside by sports federations to help train the country's athletes so they can perform well on home soil, and this could boost their performance in Guangzhou.

India is traditionally strong on the shooting ranges and the tennis courts and with cricket being played for the first time, they should pick up medals.

Japan was disappointed in Doha by failing to convert more of its 71 silvers into gold, and has been working hard to correct that.

It established its first national training centre for championship athletes, although it failed to pay dividends in time for the Beijing Olympics where they again finished behind China and South Korea.

Swimming is one of Japan's top sports with two-time Olympic breaststroke champion Kosuke Kitajima and world 100-metre backstroke champion Junya Koga among its ranks.

"The Asian Games is our top target for next year." said senior Japan Swimming Federation official Yujiro Ishii.

"We will target 16 gold medals, the same as the last Games. But it will be tough because we found after analysing the results of the Chinese National Games that China's level in swimming was very high."

While 2010 will undoubtedly be about China and who finishes second in the medals table, it will also be about the minnows.

Seven countries failed to make the podium in Doha -- Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Maldives, Oman, and the Palestinian territories --and they will be keen to put that right.

by Martin Parry - AFP